Process and system for controlling modulation assisted valves for the internet of things

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a process and system for controlling a genus of valve, typically in a pipe network. The genus of valve is herein referred to as a modulation assisted valve (MAV). The process and system of controlling said MAV&#39;s comprises a multitude of embodiments of such MAV&#39;s as deployed in a plurality of network configurations of pipes, such networks of pipes further interconnected with means of modulating the fluid forces encountered by such MAV&#39;s so as to assist in the actuation of such MAV&#39;s. The coordinated modulation of fluid forces within embodiments of pipe networks enables MAV&#39;s that are connected in common with the same pipe network to be controlled and actuated with reduced electrical energy consumed by said MAV&#39;s.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/762,703 filed on Feb. 8, 2013, and is incorporated herein in itsentirety. The present invention relates to valve apparatuses and theprocess of their control in pipe networks.

BACKGROUND Description of the Related Technology

Automated means of controlling valves as described by prior art arewidely used and varied in their approach to delivering fluid to endusers such as agricultural plants, fire sprinklers, or downstreamindustrial processes. Valves have typically been hardwired for power andcontrol making valve installation and maintenance less convenient, morecostly, and less mechanically robust while requiring sometimes difficultand unsightly routing of control and power cables. Also motivated bythis hardwiring, prior technologies have evolved automated controlsolutions that favor controlling the delivery fluids to multiple fluidend demand points by the actuation of a single hard-wired valve. Forexample, the flow of fluid to a branch of many irrigation sprinklers istypically controlled by a single branch solenoid valve. Similarly, fluiddelivery to individual fluid demand points in industrial, foodproduction, or livestock or poultry watering is done en masse,regardless of the variation in fluid demand at individual deliverypoints.

The increased availability and low-cost of small, low-powered, wirelesscommunications devices can make automated methods for controllingsmaller valves for network branches (or even individual fluid end pointdemand) more realistic. Some valves have appeared that are powered bysmall batteries or by harvesting energy from the ambient environment(see, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 8,055,389 B2). These valves typically useradios for communications and control. However, available energy sourcesare so small that precision remote valve control has evolved primarilyto using either direct acting or piloted bi-stable solenoid valves, asthose types of valves require only small amounts of actuation energy foronly for a short period of time during a change of state (off to on, orvice versa). Bi-stable piloted and direct acting solenoid valves remainstable in either the “on” or “off” state without further use electricalpower. This low power simplicity has further evolved fluid deliverysystems that typically do only that: turn the fluid supply only on oroff. Bi-stable piloted and direct acting solenoid valves, in fact, haveother multiple disadvantages:

-   -   They are bi-stable: That is, Bi-stable piloted and direct acting        solenoid valves only can be used in an “on” or an “off”        position.    -   Clogging: Piloted bi-stable solenoid valves have small pilot        holes that can clog with debris, especially in environment where        the working fluid is other than pristine. And, for reasons        discussed below, direct acting bi-stable solenoid valves have        smaller orifices making them also subject to clogging with        debris.    -   Limited range of operating pressures: Piloted bi-stable solenoid        valves typically require a minimum pressure to be actuated which        is on the order of 2.5 pounds per square inch. Lower pressures        (such as those found in gravity fed irrigation system, for        example) experience unreliable valve operation. Assisted lift        valves have help to solve this problem but at increased cost.        Direct acting bi-stable solenoid valves can act down to zero or        negative pressures but there is a cost to this attribute.    -   Actuation forces/power: Because direct acting bi-stable solenoid        valves require actuation forces proportional to their orifice        area and the pressure of the working fluid, they required high        forces (energy, and power) under pressure, and thus typically        keep forces low by having small orifices.    -   Flow volume: precisely due to the aforementioned low power and        small orifice sizes typical of direct bi-stable solenoid valves,        these valves typically can only control a limited flow of fluid        before significantly more actuation power is required.    -   Cost/Complexity: Bi-stable piloted solenoid valves are somewhat        complex due to their precision diaphragms, which add to cost.

So, the development of ultra-low-power valve technologies is an area ofchallenge that exists for the practical deployment of wirelessprecision-controlled fluid delivery systems that also work well withother developing technologies such as low powered radios, low poweredmicrocontrollers and that are low cost and have compact form factors.Devices that enable simple retrofitting of existing hydraulicinstallations and devices that are simple and rugged would also beattractive.

One type of valve that is actuated with zero electrical power is incommon used and is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,293 B1. It is anindexing valve that uses only the modulation of fluid pressure in theirrigation feed-line to actuate the valve through a sequence of multiplesettings. However, this is something of a “dumb” valve. Index valves donot coordinate fluid power with electrical power, nor do they useelectronic communications or control between the indexing mechanism andany external electronic controller by any means, even by wire. Theysimply move through a sequence of settings without variation. There isno ability to change the predetermined sequence of valve actuations.However, it does hint at a way in which the hydraulic power inherent inan irrigation line might be used in synergy with modern electroniccontrol techniques and technologies such as microcontrollers, RFcommunications, and energy harvesting hardware.

Various innovations have also reduced many of the costs associated withautonomous valve maintenance such as replacing chemical batteries withcapacitor energy storage, such as is done in the DIG Patent (U.S. Pat.No. 8,055,389 B2). Still, this references none other than the oldstandby bi-stable solenoid valve.

Other innovations have reduced costs associated with power generationand use in energy autonomous valves. Along these lines, ultra-lowpowered microcontroller technologies have greatly reduced control powerrequirements. Ultra-low powered transceivers for radio frequency andother physical media means of communication have greatly reduced thecommunications power and cost requirements of such valves. Similarimprovements in solar cell and other technologies have increasedefficiencies and reduced the cost of power generation hardware forautonomous valves. However, the cost of the valve mechanism itselfremains high relative to the overall cost of an autonomous valve. InCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture final report CDFA-FREP#03-0655, Precision Fertigation in Orchards in Development of aSpatially Variable Microsprinkler System, the authors state:

“When this project was conceived, we did not anticipate the difficultyof valve selection. There is very little availability of simple, robust,and low cost valves. Since valves are a critical part of this system,commercial efforts to improve valve design are needed. As part of asummer internship in our laboratory, a student researched valvetechnology and developed an alternative design to those availablecommercially Similar efforts by large companies could result in a small,rugged, and inexpensive valve. Spatially variable control of individualtrees in an orchard would demand millions of units and this could be apotent driving force for innovation and commercialization.”

Multiple public disclosures by persons involved in the art (such asCoates et al in California Department of Food and Agriculture finalreport CDFA-FREP #03-0655, Precision Fertigation in Orchards or in US20120273587 A1 or in U.S. Pat. No. 8,055,389 B2) have continued to citeonly the use of general valves, electronic valves, or “solenoid valves”with either implicit or explicit assumption of constant pressure or flowbeing imposed upon such valves at the time of actuation.

Other art related to the field herein includes but is not limited toU.S. Pat. No. 8,053,941 filed on Dec. 16, 2008 for an encapsulated outerstator isolated rotor stepper motor valve assembly; U.S. Pat. No.5,960,813 filed on Jul. 25, 1997 for a solar powered programmable valveand methods of operation thereof which discusses actuation of valveswithout regard to whether there is pressure imposed on the valve andassuming employment of a latching solenoid valve, direct acting orpiloted; U.S. Publication Number 20130190934 of application serialnumber U.S. Ser. No. 13/764,312 for a Method and apparatus forcontrolling irrigation filed on Feb. 11, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,085filed on Apr. 27, 1981 for a Water distributing assembly; U.S. Pat. No.4,674,681 filed on Aug. 1, 1985 for an irrigation system and apparatus;U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,419 filed on Nov. 2, 1981 for an Automatic controlapparatus and method for sprinkling water over a predetermined area;U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,802 filed on Aug. 8, 1988 for smart irrigationsprinklers; U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,971 filed on Feb. 13, 1997 for a lawnwatering system; U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,104 filed on Jul. 17, 2002 forLandscape sprinkling systems; and, U.S. Publication Number US20020100814the published application Ser. No. 09/774,503, filed on Jan. 31, 2001for a Method and means for controlling the functions of an irrigationsystem and ancillary equipment.

Still, only traditional and well known valves types are beingretrofitted with microcontrollers and energy harvesting modules such assolar charging systems. In these retrofits that convert traditional toautonomous valves, the fundamental valve types that are being used haveremained essentially unchanged. Few recent process or apparatusinnovations can be identified for increasing the efficiency of energydelivery or consumption for the physical actuation of autonomouslypowered valves. Older valve designs and control processes persist.

In electrically actuated autonomous valves, the actuation energyrequired significantly influences energy harvesting needs. The energystorage capacity, copper winding mass, and the current carrying capacityof valve actuation drive circuitry have significant negative impact ondevice cost. Clearly, improved processes and apparatuses for reducingactuation energies can reduce each of these costs and significantlyreduce the overall cost of autonomous valves.

In contrast to controlling a multitude of irrigation outlets with asingle valve, precision irrigation is instead concerned more withindividually controlling a multitude of valves that supply water toindividual or small groups of plants or trees. It is further desirablethat precision irrigation systems reliably operate where outletpressures may vary from very small values (such as is found in gravityfed irrigation systems) to the standard high pressure outputs of pumpsand municipal water supplies. Clearly it would be beneficial to designvalves and processes of valve control that more appropriately managethis multitude of flows as is desired in a precision irrigation andother fluid delivery systems. It would also be particularly valuable forthe cost of such a multitude of valves to be minimized, resulting inmore financially competitive precision irrigation systems.

Electrical and electronic energy are both efficient and convenient meansof control and power. The control of incompressible fluids underpressure has long been used as efficient means for transmitting power.It would be advantageous to employ a process and system that leveragesboth leverages the fluid power inherent in fluid delivery systems withcontrol and microelectronic technologies to reduce the forces andenergies required to actuate valves thus making their employment inprecision fluid delivery systems more attractive. By doing this, lesscostly valves with smaller, less expensive, electromechanical actuatorsand tinier, less expensive magnets, miniscule amounts of copper wirewindings, and miniscule amounts of magnetic materials can be realized.

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention combine, in a novelway, many of the latest technologies with old technologies and reduce topractice a useful major component of practical precision radiocontrolled fluid delivery systems.

Embodiments of the present invention can have streamlined form factorsthat enable it to be easily applied as a retrofit with conventionalhydraulic devices (e.g. sprinklers, and other devices) thus creating thepotential for immediate use and positive impact on residentialirrigation, agricultural water and fluid delivery, industrial fluiddelivery based industries and other applications.

Certain aspects of the present invention show further advantages. As canbe seen in the description of elements of some embodiments of thisinvention, stepper-motor technology, sometimes with the magnetic rotorsbeing essentially sealed within the valve conduit) can make up theelectro-mechanical motor of some embodiments of modulation assistedvalves (MAV's). These embodiments with sealed stepper motor rotors canbe free of valve packings, stems, or other high friction elements, whichthus further enable them to be actuated with little friction and smallamounts of energy. Some of these MAV embodiments also exhibitmulti-stable states or settings. That is, some embodiments, as will beseen, can be used to throttle fluid flow to multiple discrete flowsettings while also having extremely low actuation energies. This isvery advantageous and very unlike prior art bi-stable solenoid valveswhich only have two settings: “on” and “off.”

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS

In one aspect, a system for controlling a modulation assisted valveincludes a modulation assisted valve (MAV) interconnected and in fluidcommunication with means of controlling and modulating the flow of fluidor pressure across the MAV. A modulation assisted valve is a genusapparatus that is used in coordination with means of modulating thepressure imposed across said MAV so that the modulation of fluid forcesacting on said MAV results in reduced electrical energy being consumedin the actuation or setting of said MAV. The reduced individual valveactuation energies resulting from a system for controlling a modulationassisted valve enables a multitude of different MAV genus embodiments,several of which are described herein, that can perform useful fluiddelivery tasks such as low energy proportional valve control, compactmulti-ported valve outlets, and other useful functions. Embodiments ofthe present invention further enable useful integrations of such systemsand valves into such systems as networks of multitudes ofmodulation-assisted, energy harvesting and energy-autonomous, wirelesslycontrolled, and electric capacitance provisioned valves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simple context diagram for a system and process forcontrolling a modulation assisted valve (MAV).

FIG. 2 shows a combination embodiment of an energy harvesting electronicirrigation valve in combination with one embodiment of a modulationassisted valve.

FIG. 3 shows an electronic schematic of a solar power management circuitof an energy harvesting modulation assisted valve (MAV).

FIG. 4 shows an electronic schematic of a valve actuation power circuitfor an energy harvesting modulation assisted valve.

FIG. 5 shows high level electronic schematic of for an energy harvestingmodulation assisted valve.

FIG. 6 shows an overview drawing of a step throttling embodiment of amodulation assisted valve (MAV).

FIG. 7 shows a shuttle rotor assembly of a step throttling MAV.

FIG. 8 shows a valve body assembly (without shuttle-rotor assembly) of astep throttling MAV.

FIG. 9 shows a hybrid exploded/cutaway view of a step throttling MAV.

FIG. 10 shows a view of a step throttling MAV embodiment with guidebeads.

FIG. 11 shows a drawing of a piston MAV embodiment of a modulationassisted valve in closed position.

FIG. 12 shows a drawing of a piston MAV embodiment of a modulationassisted valve in open position.

FIG. 13 shows a side and top view drawing of a torpedo MAV embodiment ofa modulation assisted valve.

FIG. 14 shows a dual exploded view of a torpedo MAV embodiment

FIG. 15 shows a side and top view drawing of a levered solenoid MAVembodiment of a modulation assisted valve.

FIG. 16 shows a view of a multi-port modulation assisted valve.

FIG. 17 is a table showing the flow states versus angle for themulti-port MAV

FIG. 18 is a perspective exterior view of an embodiment of AutomatedAnimal Portal System

FIG. 19 is a perspective interior view of an embodiment of AutomatedAnimal Portal System

DRAWINGS - Reference Numerals 1 modulation assisted valve (MAV)component (here, the step throttling MAV) 2 solenoid valve (means ofmodulating the flow or differential pressure across valve) 3 valve radiofrequency transceiver [symbol] (means for the valve to communicate andaccept a command) 4 radio frequency equipped soil moisture monitors 5radio frequency command unit for controlling process of irrigation 6network of pipes 7 radio equipped solenoid valve controller 8 Internethosted data and communications infrastructure 9 solenoid controllerradio frequency transceiver (means of accepting commands to modulatepressure or flow of fluid) 10 energy harvesting modulation assistedvalve (MAV) with flow settings 11 to pressurized irrigation water supply100 (cutaway view window, CAD artifact) 102 water inlet port 103 plasticspray nozzle 105 photovoltaic array 106 super capacitor or lithium-ioncapacitor energy storage 107 microcontroller and electronics package 108RF transceiver 109 RF antenna 110 power and data bus wires 111electronics potting/molding enclosure 112 sprinkler riser 113 returnspring 114 riser piston 115 antenna “keep out” region 116 ground level117 USB cover/adapter 202 rotor head 203 shuttle-rotor (gatingmechanism) 204 body conduit 205 inlet port 206 magnet rotor 207 outletport 208 shuttle cap 209 lead wires (means of accepting electricalenergy) 210 rotor gates 214 motor stator 215 windings 216 thrust ring217 reset stop 218 rotor stop 220 body seal 221 body gate modulationorifices 222 gap 223 gasket 224 guide beads 225 guide grooves 226 northstator teeth 227 bead race 228 south stator teeth 230 magnet north poles(gate teeth) 232 magnet south poles (gate teeth) 301 cylinder conduit302 piston (gating mechanism) 303 guide bead (fixed to cylinder conduitwall) 304 top guide track 305 guide grooves 306 permanent magnet gatetooth (or ferromagnetic material) 307 “off” stator coil winding 308 “½on” stator coil winding 309 “full on” stator coil winding 310 thrustring 311 piston seal ring 312 coil winding leads (means of acceptingelectrical energy) 313 return spring 314 top seal ring 315 electronicshousing (microcontroller, radio transceiver, super capacitor orlithium-ion capacitor) 316 cylinder bevel 317 solar cell (or otherenergy harvesting transducer) 318 outlet port/modulation orifice 319radio antenna 320 valve inlet port 401 valve body conduit 402 outletport (shown with pipe threads) 403 inlet port (shown with pipe threads)404 shuttle (gating mechanism) 405 ceramic magnet stepper motor rotor(wet) 406 stepper motor stator (dry) 407 orifice torpedo gate 408modulation orifice/valve seat 409 shuttle guide rails/stops 410graduated length guide grooves 411 low friction glide rings/retainers412 seat ring 413 shuttle orifice 414 torpedo support vanes 415 solarcell 416 RF antenna 417 microcontroller, radio, super capacitor orlithium-ion capacitor, ancillary electronics 418 magnet-to-shuttle guideteeth 419 recessed area (void) 420 “water hammer” reduction orifice 421access threads/seal 422 upper valve chamber 423 return spring 425 (notapplicable. Artifact of literal CAD capture of existing stepper motorhardware) 501 pipe cylinder conduit 502 valve head (gating mechanism)503 modulation orifice/valve seat 504 lever 505 hinge 506 push rod rotor507 axially magnetized ring magnets (gate teeth) 508 enclosed magnetwire coils 509 ferromagnetic winding enclosures (stator teeth) 510 “airgap” rod washers 511 “air gap” shell washers 512 phase “A” linear motorstator assembly 513 phase “B” linear motor stator assembly 514 clevispin 515 magnetic flux “air gap” 516 magnet cylinders 517 inlet port 602rotor head 603 shuttle-rotor (gating mechanism) 604 body conduit 605inlet port 606 magnet rotor 607 multiple outlet ports (independent flowquadrants) 608 shuttle cap 609 lead wires (means of accepting electricalenergy) 610 rotor gates 614 motor stator 615 windings 616 thrust ring617 reset stop 618 rotor stop 620 body seal 621 body gate modulationorifices (orifice wheel) 622 gap 623 gasket 624 guide beads 625 guidegrooves 627 bead race 518 outlet port 701 base structure 702 portalbarrier mechanism 703 photovoltaic array 704 electronic latch (latchingsolenoid) 705 capacitors (super capacitors, Li-Ion Capacitors, etc.) 706computer (and power management electronics) 707 radio frequencytransceiver 708 radio frequency proximity sensor (and/or discriminator)709 animal tag 710 USB port 711 electric cabling 712 radio frequencyantenna 713 hinge 714 mounting frame

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS Description SystemEmbodiment for Controlling an MAV—FIG. 1-FIG. 5

FIG. 1 shows one system embodiment for controlling a modulation assistedvalve (MAV) and is intended primarily for setting context by showing oneembodiment of the present invention. The figure shows a globallydistributed irrigation management system that is able to control theactuation of sprinklers and other irrigation devices through variouscommunications means where the final communications link is a wirelessradio link at a valve of the type described herein. The figure alsoshows the use of a wide area network of wireless and wiredcommunications links including cellular telephone links with ShortMessage Service (SMS), digital comm links with satellites, Wi-Fi, lowpower and low data rate personal area networks such as that describedherein and gateways between the various local and wide area networks andcommunications technologies. The figure also shows interconnection withthe Internet. Control of the system through web-enabled cell phones isshown as is the wireless enablement of agricultural sensors for physicalmeasurements including moisture, pH, and other environmental parameters.The figure shows the use of publicly or privately available real-timeweather data as well as digital connection to crop managementencyclopedias which can be used to digitally optimize the management ofagricultural production. The figure shows the association of geographicposition data for each sprinkler and, potentially, each sensor wherebythat data may be used by the system to better manage agriculturalproduction in a variety of ways, including simple mapping of sensedparameters, water delivery locations and quantities, problem reports atgeographic locations, and many other, higher level, processes that canbe employed to optimize the economy of agricultural production.

FIG. 2 shows an energy harvesting electronic irrigation valve andemitter comprised of a solar cell, a microcontroller, a super capacitorfor storing solar energy, a radio transceiver and an embodiment of anelement of the apparatus of the present invention when integrated anwith a familiar popup sprinkler head. The entire device is show in itspartially buried position with respect to ground level 116. The overallstructure is comprised of an embodiment of a an apparatus that we willcall a modulation assisted valve (MAV) 1 and a popup sprinkler having awater inlet port 102, a moveable sprinkler riser 112, and a plasticspray nozzle 103. The device has a conventional riser piston 114 thatraises the riser 112 when water pressure is introduced at inlet 102, andhas a return spring 113 that draws riser 112 back into the sprinklerbody when the water pressure is removed. Each of the preceding arestraight forward and well known in prior art, except for the conditionthat spray nozzle 103 is best made entirely from plastic or otherdielectric material. Dielectric nozzle material is desired so as toserve the functionality of other more novel attributes of the devicewhich are to be discussed.

The figures show the use of an embodiment of a modulation assisted valve1 in combination with other apparatuses. Element 1 in FIG. 2 shows astep throttling MAV which is the first embodiment of one element of theinvention further disclosed in this document. Detailed description ofthe step throttling modulation assisted valve 1 can be had below. Theenergy harvesting modulation assisted valve apparatus of FIG. 2comprises a hydraulic endpoint device (here a sprinkler head), and otherelements, with an embodiment of a primary element of the presentinvention: a modulation assisted valve (MAV). Different configurationsof an energy harvesting valve could use different embodiments of MAV foritem 1 of the figure.

The top of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 (shown exposed above groundlevel 6) in the region where a top deck would typically appear for astandard popup sprinkler, is covered with a photovoltaic array of one ormore solar cells 105. The solar cells provide power for the entiredevice and are used as the source of electric charge and voltage that isstored in a super capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor power store 106.Solar cells 105 are encased or covered with a light-transparent epoxy,or similar, coating that protects the cells from the elements whilestill transmitting most optical energy that falls on the device throughto the surface of the photo-cells. The area of solar cells 105 isinterrupted by a “keep-out” region 115 that has no solar cell ormetallic material. In the middle of the “keep-out” region is a flatmetallic printed circuit board radio frequency (RF) antenna 109. The“keep-out” region is restricted to non-metallic elements so as to allowclear operation of the RF antenna 109.

The entire device is intended to allow, for example, a lawn mower to bepassed over it without damage, thus motivating a very low position forthe RF antenna 109. However, the antenna 109 may be required to beraised above the photovoltaic array 105 so as to avoid RF interferencewith the solar cell material or to enable its protrusion into clearspace for interference-free communication. An electromagnetic antennasimulation may be required to optimize antenna geometry and positioningas compared the expressed and preferred position described. An ancillarymonopole antenna that protrudes above ground level may be connected inlieu of flat PCB antenna 109 where improved communications are requiredand installation and permits.

Just beneath the antenna 109 in FIG. 2 is a radio frequency transceivercircuit 108 and ancillary electronics. The transceiver circuit 108 ispotted or enclosed in the molded material of the sprinkler body or othermaterial so as to isolate it from weather and other damaging elements.RF transceiver 108 is, for this embodiment, based on MicrochipCorporation's MRF24J40, MRF89XA, or other transceiver integrated circuitfor implementing low data rate wireless personal area networks (WPANs).The antenna geometry 109 would need to be appropriate for the chosentransceiver frequency. The transceiver circuit 108 has an includedmetallic ground plane integrated with it so as to act as a counterpoiseto antenna 109.

FIG. 5 shows the overall layout of an embodiment's electronic circuitryin a prototype form. The solar input and voltage protection is at theleft. Two boost transformers, the TPS61040 and the TPS61220, convertsuper capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor power from a typical 2.7 voltsto 16 volts (to drive the stepper motor of the valve) and 3.3 volts (todrive the radio transceiver), respectively. The other components are asdescribed in this document. In FIG. 5 the bipolar transistor at the topof the page should be replaced with the TPS27081 power switch shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 2 further shows the inclusion of a super capacitor or lithium-ioncapacitor power storage device 106 that, like the transceiver circuit108, is also encapsulated and shielded from the elements by enclosingmaterial 111. The super capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor power sourceis comprised of one or more super capacitors or lithium-ion capacitorsand potentially some simple balancing electronics for maintainingequivalent voltages on similar capacitors where multiple supercapacitors are employed. A single super capacitor is expected to sufficefor the device's power storage needs. A battery is currently anticipatednot to be used as super capacitors will provide virtually indefinitelength, rugged, highly reliable, and extremely low maintenancerechargeable power storage that should meet all power requirements forthe device. The super capacitor 106 may be placed in a differentphysical location than shown to enable optimal filtering of transientelectrical current surges associated with turning off and on deviceelectronic sub circuits. A super capacitor over-charge protectioncircuit is included with the super capacitor 106 to guard againstover-charge from the solar cells 105 on bright or long daylight days.The over-charge protection circuit is shown as essentially the left halfof FIG. 3. In that figure the comparator has an internal voltagereference which is used to create a comparator trigger point, withhysteresis, and disallows the 50 farad super capacitor from charging togreater than 2.7 volts. The TPS27081 is a power switch, which drives aboost converter (not shown) to convert the capacitor's 2.7 volts tonominally 16 volts to drive power waveforms with the power MOSFETstepper motor half-bridge drive circuit of FIG. 4. This boost circuitmay need to be charged and “fired” multiple times over to energizesuccessive steps of the stepper-motor.

In FIG. 2, a microcontroller chip and power management electronicspackage 107 are electrically connected and near to super capacitor 106and transceiver 108. Calculations show that power consumption isdominated by the current used to run the microcontroller during itsexpected long periods of sleep. For this reason, the microcontroller 107expected to be employed with an embodiment of the present invention isMicrochip Corporation's PIC18F87K22. The PIC18F87K22 is an extremely lowpower microcontroller that consumes approximately 20 nA of current inits low voltage sleep mode. The PIC microcontroller also has a real-timeclock and calendar peripheral device. A sufficiently highly accurateelectronic resonator is included with the electronics package 107 so asto enable sufficiently accurate operation of the microcontroller'sclock-calendar function and for scheduling wakeup, sleep, transmissionof message times, and reception of message times. The microcontroller inelectronics package 107 also has many input/output pins, several ofwhich are programmed to control the current waveform for drivingmodulation assisted valve 1. It has 128 kilobytes of program memory, 1 kbyte of EEPROM, and a real-time clock/calendar.

The ancillary electronics in electronics package 107 also include twovoltage boost circuits. One boost circuit converts the nominal 2.7 (orlower) volts of super capacitor 106 to approximately 3.3 volts so as topower transceiver 108 and the other boosts the voltage from the supercapacitor 2.7 volts to as high as 25 volts to efficiently supply powerfor actuation of modulation assisted valve 1.

Electronics package 107 also includes valve motor power bufferelectronics to allow the microcontroller in electronics package 107,which is on a low voltage circuit, to control the higher voltage currentwaveforms necessary to drive the modulation assisted valve 1. A circuitthat is efficient and sufficient for this buffering is shown in FIG. 4.

The PIC18F87K22 microcontroller chip of electronics package 107 controlsand communicates with the RF transceiver chip 108 by interconnectionwith a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus in which themicrocontroller is master and the RF chip is a slave.

A current-limited universal serial bus (USB) device port protected by ascrew-on weather cap 117 rests in the side of the valve body. The USBdevice port is connected to the microcontroller through wiring harness111 and ancillary electronics.

Item 111 in FIG. 2 is a general purpose wiring harness thatinterconnects the microcontroller and ancillary electronics 107, the RFtransceiver, 108, and a device USB port.

A wireless personal area network (WPAN) protocol software stack makes uppart of the firmware for the device and is expected to be a sort ofbeacon network so as to enable very short wake/sleep duty cycles forpurposes of conserving operational power.

Operation Of Embodiment of an Energy Harvesting MAV—FIG. 2

Referring to FIG. 2, solar cells 105 supply current which is then storedin super capacitor 106. Calculations show that no chemical battery isrequired for the device if it is operated with attention to the powerresources available. With little or no power conditioning, supercapacitor 106 is expected to directly power the electronics package 107,including the microcontroller which can operate on as little as 1.8volts. The 25 voltage booster previously mentioned as part of 107, isused to efficiently supply power for the current waveforms formechanical actuation of valve embodiment 1.

The combination shown, which we may call an energy harvesting modulationassisted valve with an embodied element (valve apparatus) of the presentinvention is expected to be physically installed nearly as any otherhydraulic device such as a sprinkler head. The entire device is set inplace and inlet port 102 is attached to a water supply. The presentembodiment is physically best oriented such as to optimize antenna 109gain (reception and transmission) by pointing it in the direction of anyexternal wireless devices with which the present embodiment is tocommunicate.

It is expected that the super capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor 106 ofthe device will, at installation, possess zero charge. Therefore, thedevice is designed to be connected to an external host USB device (suchas a smart phone or tablet computer) through USB port 117 in FIG. 2.Super capacitor 106 in that figure will then begin to be charged by thehost USB power source up to a point where it reaches is maximum allowedvoltage (currently expected to be 2.7 volts). Alternatively, the devicemay be initially charged from solar cell 105, but the amount of timerequired for capacitor 106 to reach full charge will be much longer. Ineither case, after initial setup, solar cell 105 will continue to chargeenergy store 106 which, in turn, will supply all energy required tooperate the device. Other embodiments of this valve may include smallwater-turbine generators mounted in the valve flow path, or similar, inplace of solar cell 105 from which to harvest the energy necessary fordevice operation.

During the initialization charging process, after capacitor 106 reachesa predetermined threshold voltage as seen by microcontroller 107, themicrocontroller executes behavioral steps encoded in its firmwareprogram memory. An outline of that program follows:

Most typically, the device will be initially charged and logicallyinitialized by means of interacting with a computer program in aUSB-connected, Geographic Positioning System enabled (GPS-enabled),portable device such as a smart phone or portable computer. Theconnected program will load and update any new operating firmware intothe sprinkler microcontroller and perform some basic initializationfunctions. Importantly, as part of the initialization process, GPScoordinates will be downloaded from the portable computer to thefirmware in the sprinkler valve to enable the precise geolocation of thedevice. The device will most probably store the downloaded geographiccoordinates into its non-volatile memory so that they can be laterrecalled by the device for local operation or sent to an externalcontroller when commanded over the wireless link.

The execution of microcontroller firmware begins with thereset/initialization firmware program. After basic microcontrollerhardware configuration, the firmware program utilizes a predeterminedunderlying public or custom wireless protocol (such as Zigbee or acustom protocol) to negotiate connection to and join with an IEEE802.15.4 (or similar) based wireless personal area network (WPAN). Thedevice then publishes its ability to communicate over the network. Awired connection could also be used.

The device may be commanded by a remote, external, device over thewireless communications channel, over a wired communications channel, orit even may be commanded over a collocated electrical connections (suchas an SPI bus with interrupt line 111) by a control processor that iscollocated with the current embodiment. As the device harvests such asmall amount of energy from its environment, its logical and physicaloperation is primarily defined in terms of small, low energy, discreteevents and state changes. When the device is not executing one of thesesmall events or while it is not managing or actuating one of the smallstate changes, the device will remain in a low-power sleep state. It isexpected to be in this sleep state most of the time, again, for thepurpose of conserving energy.

Commands sent by the external controller are in the form of commandeddiscrete events that change the physical and/or logical state of thepresent embodiment. Commands are managed by an internal event queuewhich stores command events in an essentially time-stamp-orderedsequence such that the oldest time-stamp command is executed first andthe most recent time-stamp command is moved to the back of the queue tobe executed later. Exceptions to this time-ordered queuing exist such aswhen the device encounters an error condition (e.g. low power, orsimilar) where internally generated events may be serviced beforeexternally commanded events.

Messages may be sent and received by the device over said wireless orwired communications channel, to:

request (transmit) that commands be sent by the external controllerreceive commands to synchronize device internal clock/timer with acommanded time stampreceive commands to report execution status of previous commands andeventstransmit status reports of previously executed commands and eventsreceive commands to cancel or modify previous commandsreceive commands to enable alerts or exceptional conditionsreceive commands to schedule wireless communications slot times foraccepting future commands from outside the system, including

receive scheduling commands for zero or more start times for saidcommunications slots

receive scheduling commands for termination of communications time slots

-   receive commands to schedule zero or more “set valve” events, the    parameters of such commands taking the form of time for each of said    “set valve” event,

valve flow rate setting for said “set valve” event

receive commands to schedule zero or more “set sleep state” events, theparameters of such commands taking the form of

time for each of said “set sleep state” event

state indicator for each said “set sleep state” event

A sequence of multiple command events may also be wrapped in a single,parent, command The flow rate parameter for said “set valve” eventcommand would typically be a quasi-continuous integer value that wasdefined by the external commanding entity. A lookup table would convertthe commanded flow rate parameter effectively to a fractional valuebetween 0.0 and 1.0 (or equivalently 0 and 100 percent) corresponding toa fully closed and fully open valve. The reason for the lookup tablewould be to allow the valve to operate more uniformly when connected towidely varying downstream piping and fluid orifices (e.g. sprinklerheads vs pipe manifolds). The default lookup table would be a directinterpretation of the commanded flow rate parameter, but the commandingapplication could configure the present embodiment with different lookupvalues at installation time.

The state indicator parameter for said “set sleep state” event commandwould include such state indicators as “sleeping”, “awake”, and “idle.”Sleep states, too, could be customized by the external commandingapplication protocol.

The allocation and synchronization of time slots for communications iscommon in various wireless networks and are often described as beaconnetworks.

After receiving commands from the controlling device, the presentcombination would then synchronize its clock-Calendar with saidcommanded time stamp. It would then store all command events and theirparameters, including scheduled communications intervals into on-boardnon-volatile memory, and store all of above said commanded scheduled“set valve” events commands into on board non-volatile memory. Othercommanded events would also be stored in memory and ordered in thecommand event queue.

The present embodiment would then internally schedule “set valve” eventtimes for each of said commanded “set valve” events and would do similarfor communications time-slot intervals. If the current time was withinone of the commanded communications time slots or was near in time toone of said “set valve” events, it would remain in the awake state andexecute such “set valve” event command or communication command.Commands received by the present embodiment are essentially commands forthe device to change its state. Thus, the present embodiment has severalessential states (though other, intermediate, ancillary or“housekeeping” states such as “idle” might also be used). Each definedstate may be independent, dependent (sub-state), and/or combined withother states. In summary, the currently envisioned states comprise suchstates as follows. Indentations connote sub-states of a parent state:

Awake State

Communicating

-   -   Receiving commands    -   Transmitting status

Not communicating

Actuating valve

Valve percent open

Other states

Other transient states (sometimes classified as events which move devicefrom one state to next)

Sleep State

Not communicating

Valve percent open

Other states

Events that are primarily scheduled by external commands (as discussedabove) serve to transition the device from one compound state toanother.

Execution of “Set Time” Command

The present embodiment would respond to the “set time” command byre-setting its internal clock to the commanded time stamp

Execution of “Set Valve” Command

The following outlines the logical steps for the present combination ofelements to execute the externally commanded “set valve” command. Forthe physical means of actuation the modulation assisted valve (1 of FIG.2), see the specification in this document for an embodiment of thereference modulation assisted valve 1.

To execute the commanded “set valve” event, the microcontroller in thisembodiment would first schedule a “wakeup” event at the commanded “setvalve” event time and wake up from its low power sleep state at suchtime by means of a timed microcontroller interrupt. It would read thepresent state value for the valve setting (amount open) stored innon-volatile memory and, if different from the commanded value, wouldactuate MAV 1 to the flow rate setting parameter of the current “setvalve” event. It would then store the new valve setting in non-volatilememory as a part of the device's currently defined state.

Then, upon pressure being introduced by an external controller at valveinlet port 102, water would flow through the hydraulic device and out ofthe nozzle 103 at a rate dependent on the setting of valve 1.

For the “set valve” command to be reliably executed by valve 1, a meansof commanding the modulation of fluid pressure imposed across valve 1,such as valve controller 7, could be invoked, resulting in the closingof valve 2 and a change of fluid flow or pressure being imposed acrossvalve 1. The resulting change in fluid forces acting on valve 1 couldthen assist valve 1 in being actuated in coordinated execution of the“set valve” command. Thus no fluid pressure would exist at fluid inletport 102 at the moment of physical actuation of valve 1, thus assistingthe actuation of valve 1 by reduction of such pressure upon its gatingmechanism (its valve member). Any kind of valve could be used in placeof valve 2 as a means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluidsimposed across valve 1, the point being to externally modulate orcontrol the fluid forces acting on valve 1 to assist in its physicalactuation. After setting the valve, the microcontroller would thenschedule the next commanded event (which would typically be an event toturn off the valve (set the valve to zero flow), leave its flow settingunchanged (identical), or to schedule a wireless transmission requestevent to schedule a dialog with the controller, or other event). Whattype of event is next scheduled is, for the most part, externallycommanded by virtue of the previously commanded event command messages.The device would then put itself into the power-saving “sleep” state,awaiting a sleep interrupt at the time of the next scheduled commandevent.

Execution of Other Commands

Other externally commanded events are primarily for the purpose ofcommunicating with the external controller. Definition for the exactprocess of executing commands such as negotiating communicationschannels, scheduling communications time slots with the externalcontroller, or reporting device status are primarily the role andresponsibility of the external controller and such communicationsprotocols are typically considered to be made up of elements defined inprior art. Still, the lower layers (in an ISO sense) of this inferreddevice/controller communications protocol will be much motivated by theconstraints imposed by the limited energy that can be harvested by theillustrated combination of elements in its deployed environment. And, asthe role of the combination of elements within a larger system islargely limited to harvesting energy, standing by awaiting furthercommands from a controller, and efficiently executing such commands toactuate MAV 1 in FIG. 2. The precise definition of a command andcommunications protocol is deferred to such controller.

Other housekeeping events such as re-positioning the valve to itsabsolute start position may also be exercised independently from theexternal controller.

Manufacture of the present combination embodiment would be by meanscommonly known by persons skilled in the art and would most likelyinvolve creation of the valve body 11 by plastic injection molding, andstandard mounting and physical encapsulation/protection of thephotovoltaic array, antenna, super capacitor, microcontroller, and otherelectronics. MAV 1 could be later attached by glue, integral molding,pipe threading/screwing, or other some such conventional means.

Description of Other Combinations of Elements of this Energy HarvestingModulation Assisted Valve

Other combination of elements could include other irrigation devicesthat are similar to but have, for instance, a fixed sprinkler riser tube(rather than the moveable popup riser), different embodiments of MAV(item 1 in), and even very small embodiments using micro-motors tomodulate the flow volume in tiny irrigation drip emitters. Otherembodiments might integrate the discussed combination of elements with apoultry watering nozzle, an intermediate control valve at some branch ofa hydraulic circuit, or as an intermediate or terminal device in a fluiddelivery system for a food production or other industrial process.

The valve actuator for an embodiment of a non-modulation assisted energyharvesting valve might instead be a conventional magnetically latchingbi-stable solenoid valve, or other valve that could be operated underpressure.

Description First MAV Embodiment—FIG. 6-FIG. 9

FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of a first embodiment of a modulationassisted valve (MAV). We might call this embodiment a step throttlingMAV. The entire step throttling MAV device 1 is essentially axiallysymmetric except for a few minor attributes such as motor lead wires209. It has a fluid inlet 205, and a fluid outlet 207.

There are two parts of the step throttling MAV that move with respect toone another: the shuttle-rotor 203, which acts as a gaiting mechanismfor obstructing fluid flow, and the valve body conduit 204. The valvebody conduit, 204 is expected to be made primarily of injection moldedPVC, ABS, or other common plastic material.

The shuttle-rotor 203 is completely submersed in the working fluid (wetrotor) and is hermetically sealed from other electromagnetic componentsof the device. The shuttle-rotor 203 includes, but is not limited inconstitution to, a hollow cylindrical permanent magnet rotor 206 and anattached hollow cylindrical shuttle cap 208. The permanent magnet rotor206 is of the type found in permanent magnet stepper motors such asthose motors made by Portescap and commonly known as “can stack”permanent magnet motors. The hollow cylindrical center of the magnetrotor 206 is intended as a channel through which the working fluid mayflow. The magnet is magnetized with a plurality of alternating north andsouth poles (behaving in the role of magnetic gate teeth) around itscircumference. Of particular note is that the magnet rotor is actuallyenclosed within the conduit of the valve and exposed to the workingfluid. As the rotor is exposed to the working fluid, the materialcomposition of the magnet rotor 206 is typically ferrite, which is bothcommon and corrosion resistant, but may be made from other materials.Other materials (such as neodymium or iron (reluctance motor)) wouldtypically need to be coated or be implicitly resistant to the corrosiveaction of the working fluid. The magnet may, as is common in the art,also have other soft magnetic materials distributed in predeterminedgeometries about its surface (not illustrated) to increase theefficiency of motor magnetic circuits.

At one end of its cylindrical shape, the magnet rotor 206 has fixed toit, a cylindrical shuttle cap 208. The shuttle cap 208 material istypically comprised of a non-corrosive plastic but may prove moreeffective if comprised with other ferromagnetic materials that increaseelectromagnetic efficiency or improve an axial solenoid action of theshuttle-rotor. Other non-ferromagnetic materials may also be used.Enclosing the magnet rotor 206 in the valve's conduit (and exposing itto the working fluid) constitutes a means of arranging theelectromagnetic valve motor by which the step throttling MAV greatlyreduces valve actuation forces by the elimination of a valve stem andassociated packing (particularly eliminating the friction that isassociated with a valve packing). The rotor head 202 portion of theshuttle cap 208 is a layer of rigid, impervious plastic or similarmaterial that is rigidly attached to the shuttle cap. The rotor head 202is fenestrated with one or more segmented openings or orifices, hereinreferred to as rotor gates 210, in the head that span a prescribed shapewith respect to their angular and radial extent. The purpose of saidrotor gates 210 is to enable fluid flow through the rotor head 202. Afinite annular ring of impervious material exists on the outercircumference of the rotor head 202 so as to enable the formation of aseal against a valve body seal 220. When no fluid pressure is applied tothe valve inlet port 205, the rotor is at rest and a small gap 2222exists between the cap and the valve body seal 220 such that the entireshuttle-rotor may rotate inside of the shuttle body conduit 204 withminimal friction.

The valve body conduit 204 comprises, but is not limited in constitutionto, the main valve body conduit structure 204, an attached ferromagneticcan-stack stepper-motor stator 214 containing magnet wire windings 215,winding lead wires 209 (the lead wires being a means of acceptingelectrical energy), a low-friction thrust ring 216 upon which the magnetrotor 206 rests (under zero fluid pressure), a fixed planar valve bodyseal 220 spanning the entire outlet except for having one or moresegmented openings or orifices of prescribed shape with respect to theirangular and radial extent called body gate modulation orifices 221.Adjustable overlap of body gate modulation orifices 221 with rotor gates210 in the top of the rotor shuttle cap 208 is the means by which thevalve modulates fluid flow volume. A few small additional openings (notillustrated) may appear in the body seal 220, but are not matched in therotor head 202, are anticipated to be unnecessary. The purpose ofinclusion of said ancillary openings is, if proven necessary, to ensurea definite pressure seal of rotor head 202 to body seal 220 underpressurized operation of step throttling MAV 1. Pipe threading is shownin the drawing at the inlet 205 and outlet 207 of the valve, but isancillary, or not necessary, as fixing the valve to external piping mayentail various means of fastening including PVC pipe glue, integralmolding into another device or other means. Gasket material 223 istypically applied to the underside (bottom) of the body seal 220surface, except in regions of the body gate modulation orifices 221 and,potentially, in regions of ancillary holes within the body seal 220. Areset stop 217 is attached to the valve body conduit 204 and protrudesup into the hollow cylinder of the shuttle-rotor 203. A rotor stop 218is attached to the inside cylinder wall of the shuttle rotor 203. Thereset stop 217 and rotor stop 218 exist for the purpose of enablingrotation of the shuttle-rotor 203 to its reset, or zero degree, absoluteposition.

The can-stack stator 214 may be integrated with the body conduit byvarious means. During the manufacturing process, the entire stator 214and windings assembly 215 might be completely encased with a moltenthermoplastic block of larger dimension than the stator assembly itself.After the plastic solidifies, the block may be drilled through theinterior cylindrical part of the stator 214 with a precision drill, thusforming the cylinder in which shuttle-rotor 203 resides while alsoforming the main body conduit 4 of the step throttling MAV. Furtheradjustment of the bore diameter might further use an abrasive removal ofsome material with emery or sandpaper fixed to a drill or manuallyapplied so as to create a tight tolerance magnetic gap between magnetrotor 206 and stator 214. Both ends of the cylindrical hole 14 may betapped with female threads, the shuttle-rotor 203 inserted into thecylinder, and each of two male threaded pipes could then be threadedinto either side of the body conduit cylinder 204. One of these pipescould have the body seal 220 with body gate modulation orifices 221applied to the end and the other pipe could have the thrust ring 216attached at its end.

Another means of manufacturing could include expansion heating thestator/winding assembly (214, 215) and then to slide it over a cool,thin-walled plastic pipe, the latter of which would form the inlet 205and outlet 207 ports of the valve body conduit 204. Glue could be usedto fix the stator 214 to the cylindrical valve body conduit pipe 4. Bodyseal 220 and gates 21 could then be glue-inserted into one end of thebody conduit cylinder 204 and thrust ring 216 could be similarlyglue-inserted into the other end of body conduit cylinder 204.

Centrifugal molding techniques could also be used, wherein thepre-assembled stator 214 and lead wires 209 are placed into a mold andspun to create a cylindrical pipe body conduit 204, of which thestator/windings assembly (214/215) is an integral part.

Regardless of the means of attachment, the stator 214 and valve bodyconduit 204, in this step throttling MAV, integrally form the valveconduit cylinder in which magnet rotor 206 turns. The envisioned thinlayer of material between stator and rotor is thick enough to withstandleakage of the pressurized working fluid into the stator 214 yet is asthin as possible to minimize the reluctance of the magnetic path betweenthe stator 214 and the magnet rotor 206. It is also thin enough toenable the free rotation of the shuttle-rotor 203 with minimalfrictional resistance. The four magnet wire leads 209 shown in FIG. 6act as a means of accepting electrical energy in response to commandssent to do so by an attached means of accepting such command signals,such as a radio receiver. The four wire leads, 209, imply a two-phasebipolar stepping configuration, but other phase and polarity motorconfigurations, such as are common in the art of electric motors, may bealternatively employed. A return coil spring may prove useful ifattached at one end to the bottom of the shuttle-rotor 203 and at theother end to the valve body conduit 204 near the inlet port 205, but isanticipated to be unnecessary. Instead, passive magnetic forces and/orgravity are expected to hold shuttle-rotor 203 to its rest positionagainst the thrust ring 216.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective side view of the step throttling MAVshuttle-rotor assembly 203, isolated from the valve body conduit (FIG.6, #204), and shows the physical structure of this fluid gatingmechanism. The shuttle-rotor assembly 203 has two cylindrical parts: thestepper magnet rotor 206 and the impervious shuttle cap 208. In thisstep throttling MAV, a conventional stepper-motor magnet rotor is used,which is a hollow cylindrical ring-magnet that is permanently magnetizedwith a plurality of alternating north and south poles (gate teeth)around its circumference. Its material composition is typically ferrite,but other hard magnetic materials, or soft magnetic materials (in thecase where a variable reluctance stepper or other motor is employed) maybe used. Appropriate corrosion resistance of the rotor materials ispotentially applied to magnet rotor 206 which is more important in thecase where magnet rotor 206 is not made of ferrite (a very stablecompound). In yet other step throttling MAVs, the rotor may also takethe form used in hybrid stepper motors that employ permanent magnets andsoft magnetic materials as a primary means of rotor construction. Themagnet rotor structure may, as is common in the art, also have othersoft magnetic materials fixed around the magnet to increase theefficiency of magnetic circuits. An essential novelty of the inventionis that the magnetic rotor 206 is completely surrounded by the workingfluid, and isolated from the stator 214 by such fluid. This meansenclosing electric motor parts within the working fluid minimizesactuation friction by obviating the need for valve stems and highfriction seals or packings. In FIG. 7, the shuttle cap 208 is integrallyattached (by epoxy glue or similar means) to the magnet rotor 206 androtates, synchronously, with it. FIG. 7 again shows the closed shuttlerotor head 202 surface with segmented orifice openings or rotor gates210, through which fluid may flow. Other than the rotor gate openings10, the rotor cap has a flat, planar, top surface which forms a seal (orpartial seal, that acts as a gating mechanism to fluid flow, dependenton the shuttle-rotor 203 rotational angle setting with respect to thebody gate modulation orifices FIG. 1, #221) with the body seal gasket(FIG. 6, #223) when the valve is exposed to a working fluid pressure.The rotor shuttle cap 208 is made of a plastic such as PVC or ABS, andis epoxied to the magnet rotor 206. However, shuttle cap materials otherthan PVC may prove more manufacturable or rugged and means other thanepoxy might be used to fasten the shuttle cap 208 to the magnet rotor206. The rotor stop 218 is shown attached to the hollow interior of theshuttle-rotor 203.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view of the valve body conduit 204,isolated from the shuttle-rotor assembly (FIG. 6, #203). The fluid inputand output ports are again shown by 5 and 7, respectively. Surroundingthe cylinder of the main valve body conduit 204, is shown the ferrousmetal can-stack stepper motor stator 214, inside of which are wound themagnet wire windings 215. The stator 214 and windings 215 are isolatedfrom the interior of the valve body conduit 204 by a thin-wall layer ofplastic (or other non-ferrous) valve cylinder material which acts as theair-gap of the can-stack stepper motor. Leads 9, which are used as ameans of accepting electrical energy, are shown connected to the magnetwire windings 215 through the stator 214, by which the coils can beenergized. A low-friction thrust ring 216 of PTFE or similar material isfixed in the bore of the valve cylinder upon which the shuttle-rotorassembly (FIG. 7 #203) rests and can be rotated with minimal appliedtorque. Fixed just outside the stator 214 region of the valve in thedirection of the outlet port 7 is a planar seal 220 spanning the entireoutlet port area 7 except for having one or more segmented openings ororifices called body gate modulation orifices 221 that are intended towork with and overlap the rotor gates (FIG. 2 #210). The reset stop 217is shown attached to the inside of the valve body conduit and protrudinginto the center of same.

FIG. 9 illustrates the step throttling MAV in a hybrid exploded/cutawayperspective view. In this view, the relation of the parts to oneanother, particularly the placement of the shuttle-rotor assembly 203with respect to all other parts is exaggerated and moved so as to aid indescription of the device. This view also shows some attributes that arenot literally visible on the physical device such as the magnetizationstate 230 and 232 (north or south magnetic poles, or gate teeth) ofregions of the magnet rotor 206. Again, the step throttling MAV combinesnew novel features and applications with existing stepper motortechnology, the latter of which are well described in writings of priorart and industry, and will not be described herein. FIG. 9 again showspiping for the inlet port 5 of the valve and a cutaway portion of thepipe for the outlet port 7. These pipe cylinders, in this stepthrottling MAV, are made of non-ferromagnetic material such as PVCplastic. The shuttle-rotor assembly 203 is shown exaggerated from itsnormal position in the working valve. The hollow cylindrical magnetrotor 206 is shown with explicit regions of alternating north 230 andsouth 232 poles (gate teeth) along its circumference. In this stepthrottling MAV, the magnet rotor 206 is made primarily of ferritematerial with the addition of some surface ferromagnetic material to aidin the definition of efficient magnetic circuits. The rotor shuttle cap208 is again shown with its rigid impervious head 202, in which, twosegments for rotor gate orifices 10 are opened. The entire shuttle cap208 is fixed to the magnet rotor 206 by means of epoxy glue or similar.In the working device, the shuttle-rotor assembly 203 is situatedcentered inside of the stator phases 214 and sealed from them by a thinlayer of non-ferromagnetic “air gap” PVC plastic or other material. Thisshuttle-rotor assembly 203 is situated on the inlet side of the valvebody seal 220, and acts as a gating mechanism for fluid flow through thevalve. Two stepper motor stator phases 214 are also shown with theoutlet port pipe 207 shown in cutaway (reference numeral 100 is simply a“cutaway” drawing window) to reveal north 226 and south 228 steppermotor stator “teeth” which are preferentially attract magnet poles 230and 232 (gate teeth), and provide a torque to the shuttle-rotor 203 thatis dependent on the electrical energization polarity of the statormagnet wire windings 215 current. The figure also shows the valve bodyseal 220 with body gate openings 221 that are intended to complement thesize and shape of the rotor gates 210. The size and shape of thecombined gates 210 and 212 may be mathematically optimized to best workwith downstream orifices (external from the step throttling MAV) so as,for example, to affect a linear pressure relationship or linear flowrate relationship with shuttle-rotor angular setting. The inlet side ofthe body seal 220 may or may not be covered with a gasket (FIG. 1 #223)to aid in sealing the valve under applied fluid pressure. Not shown inFIG. 4 is the thrust ring (FIG. 1 #216), upon which the magnet rotor 206rests when the valve is under zero differential pressure applied betweeninlet and outlet. At rest (zero pressure) a small gap (FIG. 6 #222)exists between the shuttle rotor head 202 and the valve body seal 220,and the entire shuttle-rotor assembly 203 rests in place against thethrust ring (FIG. 6 #216) only under the forces of gravity and smallresidual magnetic forces. The at-rest rotational position of theshuttle-rotor assembly 203 is stable and at rest in any one of severaldiscrete angles (gate positions) defined by the magnet rotor 206 poles(gate teeth) distribution 230 and 232 and the resultant magnetic“cogging” with the stator teeth 226 and 228. Wire leads 9 act as a meansof accepting electrical energy and enable the stator windings 215 to beenergized with electric current.

Operation First MAV Embodiment—FIG. 6-FIG. 9

The step throttling MAV 1 in FIG. 6 is connected to a fluid supply suchas a residential sprinkler supply pipe at its inlet port 205. Typically,the valve will be oriented vertically as shown in FIG. 6 with inlet port205 beneath outlet port 207. As there is no valve stem or packing, thedominant force which must be overcome to actuate the valve is thefrictional force encountered in rotating shuttle-rotor 206. To minimizethis force, valve actuation takes place by controlling inlet pressuresuch that zero pressure between inlet and outlet ports is applied,whereby shuttle-rotor 203 is free to move without shuttle cap 202 beingpushed by fluid pressure against body seal 220. Winding leads 9 act as ameans of accepting electrical energy and are connected to an externalelectrical power source such as an electrically buffered battery orsuper capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor, and will be switched on andoff by logic, typically managed by the firmware of an embeddedmicroprocessor or microcontroller (not shown). The step throttling MAVmay, however, be powered and controlled by any means practical.

Outlet port 7 will be connected to a useful device, most typically anirrigation outlet (such as a garden sprinkler) or a branch in a pipingcircuit.

At rest, no electric current exists in the motor windings 209 and fluidpressure is controlled such that no fluid pressure or flow existsbetween valve inlet 205 and outlet ports 207. In this state, the magnetrotor 206 rests on the body thrust ring 216 and/or the non-magneticmaterial between stator 214 and magnet rotor 206. Simultaneously,shuttle-rotor 203's rotational position is at any one of a number ofdiscrete equilibrium rotational positions (gate positions) that aredetermined by multiple minima reluctance magnetic states that areassociated with the alignment of rotor magnetic poles (or gate teeth)230 and 232 with the stator teeth 226 and 228. These magnetic states arecommonly referred to, by electric motor practitioners, as motor“cogging,” or more formally as “detent torque.” Cogging can beexperienced by hand rotating the shaft any small permanent magnetstepper motor and noting angular “catchings” as the motor is rotated.This detent torque benefits the device by holding the shuttle-rotor 206in FIG. 1 at a stationary rotational angle, even under small mechanicaldisturbances or when a small spurious fluid flow passes through thevalve.

Fluid volume through the valve is intended to be adjusted under thecondition when no fluid is flowing from inlet port 205 to outlet port 7and when no fluid pressure is applied by external means to the inletport 205. Flow adjustment is made by applying appropriate phase andmagnitude electrical current waveforms to winding phases 215 of themotor stator, resulting in an electromechanical force that rotates theshuttle-rotor 203 to a chosen discrete angular position. This means ofelectrically controlling a stepper motor is well known and establishedby prior art and is not further discussed.

When the shuttle-rotor 203 is electromechanically rotated with respectto the valve body conduit 204, it slides on thrust ring 216 and rotorgates 210 rotate with respect to body gate modulation orifices 221,acting as a fluid gating mechanism, and adjusting the effective valveorifice opening between the valve inlet and outlet ports 205 and 207.Under such adjustment, the gates 210 and 21 overlap each other atdiscretely variable positions (gate positions) between zero overlap tofull overlap, the latter of which corresponds to a maximum flow. Again,valve adjustment takes place when zero differential pressure existsbetween inlet and outlet ports 5 and 7, thus minimizing pressure-inducednormal forces upon valve components and allowing the shuttle-rotor 203to be moved with a very small applied force and energy.

When controlled to allow a working fluid pressure at the valve inletport 5, fluid enters the valve, impinges upon the shuttle-rotor 203,assists actuation in moving the rotor to close gap 222, and pushes rotorhead 202 against body seal 220 and gasket 223 into an equilibrium gatehydraulic position. Inlet pressure holds the shuttle-rotor 203 and rotorgates 210 in an equilibrium gate hydraulic position, acting as a fluidgating mechanism and creating a fluid orifice of desired area at theoverlap of rotor and body gate modulation orifices 210 and 221 so as tocontrol the fluid volume passing between valve inlet and outlet ports 5and 7.

When control is applied to remove fluid pressure, the magneticattraction between the magnet rotor poles (gate teeth) 230 and 232, andstator teeth 226 and 228 is assisted by such pressure removal inmaintaining the current rotational position and pulls the shuttle cap208 back to its rest equilibrium gate position on thrust ring 216.

Description Second MAV Embodiment—FIG. 10

Another embodiment of a modulation assisted valve (MAV) FIG. 10 issimilar in operation and construction to the MAV in FIG. 6-FIG. 9 buthas the addition of a one or more guide beads 24 to aid in holdingsteady the shuttle-rotor 203 in a hydraulic gate position under thedisturbing influences of fluid moving through the valve 1. The guidebeads are attached at one or more angular positions and protrudeslightly from the outer cylinder of the shuttle-rotor 203. The guidebeads rest inside a bead race 227, which is a circumferential groovethat is cut into the inner cylinder wall of the valve body conduit 204.Guide grooves depressions 225, having a vertical extent just greaterthan gap 222; exist at sequential angular positions on the innercylinder wall of the valve body conduit.

Operation Second MAV Embodiment—FIG. 10

The embodiment of FIG. 10, operates in a manner that is, in mostrespects, the same as the step throttling MAV of FIG. 6-FIG. 9. However,when fluid pressure controlled to enter the inlet port 205, theshuttle-rotor 203 is assisted by such pressure to rise vertically fromits initial rest gate position while the guide beads 224 engage theguide grooves 225 and then hold the shuttle-rotor 203 in at definiteconstant rotational angle hydraulic position with respect to the valvebody conduit 204. At rest (fluid pressure controlled to be removed atinlet port 205), the shuttle-rotor assembly 203 may be rotated tomultiple gate positions with respect to the valve body conduit 204 byappropriate energization of stator windings 215 in a manner analogous tothe step throttling MAV (FIG. 6-FIG. 9). When rotated in the latterstate (controlling pressure across the valve to be zero), guide beads224 can be moved, with little friction, horizontally in bead race 227.

Description Third MAV Embodiment—FIG. 11-FIG. 12

A third embodiment of a modulation assisted valve (MAV) is shown in FIG.11 and FIG. 12. This embodiment might be called a piston MAV. FIG. 11shows the piston MAV in the “off” or “closed” state with a piston 302sitting at its lowest position in a valve body cylinder conduit 301.Referring to FIG. 11, the piston MAV has an inlet port 320 and an outletport/modulation orifice 318. A moveable piston 302 resides within acylinder conduit 301. The piston 302 (gating mechanism) is a thin-walledhollow circular cylinder of finite extent. In its side is imposed ahorizontal top track groove 304 and a plurality of vertically orientedguide grooves 305. One or more guide beads 303 are fixed to the bodycylinder conduit 301 and rest loosely inside of the top guide track 304.One or more permanent magnets (gate teeth) 306 are fixed to the exteriorwall and flush with the cylinder conduit external surface 2. Both thetop and bottom ends of cylinder 2 are closed surfaces.

Fixed to the outside of the valve body cylinder conduit are a pluralityof magnet wire stator coil windings, 307, 308, and 309 that can also beconsidered to be stator “teeth”. Winding 307 is herein termed the “off”stator coil winding, 308 is termed the “½ on” stator coil winding, and309 is termed the “full on” stator coil winding. However, more statorcoil windings may be similarly added, in which case additional windingswould be termed, for instance, “⅛ on” stator coil winding, “¼ on” statorcoil winding, etc., and correspond to the proportional flow setting ofthe valve device. Attached to the stator coil windings are a means ofaccepting electrical energy in the form of a plurality of electricalcoil winding leads 312.

A thrust ring 310 of low friction material such as PTFE is fixed to theinterior wall at the very bottom of the body cylinder conduit 301. Whenno fluid pressure is applied to the inlet port of the valve 320, thepiston 302 rests upon the thrust ring 310 by the assistance of gravity,an optional return spring 313, and/or passive magnetic forces betweenmagnets 306 and ferromagnetic winding spools 307, 308, 309 . . . etc.

A piston seal ring 311 is fixed to the outer surface of the piston 302.The seal ring 311 is envisioned to be of the “parachute” seal type thatimposes minimal normal force onto the wall of cylinder conduit 301 underzero pressure, but expands to form a tight seal when fluid pressured isintroduced at the inlet port 320. In the body cylinder conduit 301,positioned below the outlet port/modulation orifice 318, is a recessedor beveled circumferential depression 316 that is cut into the interiorcylinder conduit wall 1. When the valve is unpressurized the piston sealring 311 rests loosely in the beveled area, allowing the entire piston302 to rotate freely on thrust ring 310.

Top seal ring 314, similar in all respects to seal ring 311, is fixed tothe outer surface of piston 302 above outlet port/modulation orifice318. Top seal ring 314 also rests in a beveled circumferential recess ofcylinder conduit wall 1 when the valve is in the zero-pressure state.

In electronics housing 315 (containing microcontroller, radiotransceiver, and super capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor, and ancillaryelectronics), solar panel 317, and antenna 319, and irrigation sprinklerhead, are not necessary for the completeness of this valve invention andare shown only for context and as one motivation for the pursuit of thepresent invention.

The black block arrow near the inlet port 320 in FIG. 11 is not aphysical part of the device structure, but is shown only to illustratefluid pressure being “turned back” when the valve is in the closedposition.

FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 11 except that FIG. 12 shows the piston MAVin the “½ on” state and pressurized fluid entering at the inlet port320. In FIG. 12, note the position of guide bead 303 in relation toguide groove 305 and the vertical and rotational position of permanentmagnet gate tooth 306 in relation to stator coil windings (stator teeth)307, 308, and 309 and valve body 1. Also note the position of the bottomof piston 302 in relation to the outlet port/modulation orifice 318. Thepiston is in a raised state, allowing fluid (indicated by black blockarrows) to enter inlet port 320 and exit through outlet port/modulationorifice 318.

Operation Third MAV Embodiment—FIG. 11-FIG. 12

The third embodiment (herein referred to as a piston MAV), FIG. 11-FIG.12, has a piston gating mechanism and cylinder type of valve. In the offgate position (controlled to be exposed to zero-pressure, i.e. the reststate) of FIG. 11, piston 302 comes to rest upon thrust ring 310 byforce of some or all of the passive magnetic “cogging” torque attractionof magnet 306 to ferromagnetic winding spools 307, 308, and lead wires309, gravity, the force of return spring 313, and/or by assistance ofcontrolled removal of pressure from the valve. Passive magnetic coggingtorque tends to hold the piston 302 at a constant rotation angle gateposition with respect to the body cylinder conduit 301 even under smallmechanical disturbances. In this rest state, seal rings 311 and 314expand loosely into beveled recesses 316 (similar for 314) and apply,effectively, zero normal force between piston 302 and cylinder conduitwalls. A minimal amount of friction still exists between the bottom ofthe piston 302 and thrust ring 310. Lead wires 312 act as a means ofaccepting electrical energy by which selective electrical currentenergization of various magnitudes and polarities through combinationsof coils 307, 308, 309 (or a plurality of potentially more coils)electromechanically rotate piston 302 to a desired angular position withrespect to valve body cylinder conduit 301 by magnetic attraction ofmagnet 306 to stator coil windings 307, 308, and/or 309. The extent ofthis rotation is allowed and limited in range by the sliding of guidebead 303 in top guide track 304. The electrical current energy requiredfor rotation is sourced and controlled externally from the piston MAV,but is expected to derive from a super capacitor, lithium-ion capacitor,or battery that is charged by a solar cell or other electrical energyharvesting device. The electrical current waveforms are variouslysequenced and are directly analogous to stepper-motor drive waveformsthat are very common in prior art and industry and will not be furtherdiscussed herein. These waveforms are expected to be controlled by amicrocontroller and ancillary electronics 315 which are external to thepresent invention.

After setting the rotational gate position of piston 302 with respect tocylinder conduit 301 under controlled zero inlet pressure, fluidpressure may be then be applied to inlet port 320 (from an externallycontrolled source), at which point, pressure against the bottom ofpiston gating mechanism 2, raises it to a hydraulic gate position atheight that is determined by the length of one of guide grooves 305,thus opening, or partially opening outlet port/modulation orifice 318(see FIG. 12) an amount that is essentially proportional to the lengthof same groove 305. The flow path of fluid through the piston MAV in the“½ on” state is illustrated by the black block arrows of FIG. 12.

Description Fourth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 13-FIG. 14

FIG. 13 (left and right) and FIG. 14 show a fourth embodiment of amodulation assisted valve (MAV) which we might refer to as a “torpedo”MAV. In FIG. 13, left, is shown the valve body conduit cylinder 401which is typically made of a plastic such as PVC or ABS. Valve inlet 403and outlet 402 ports are shown with pipe threads at the top and bottomof the valve body conduit 401 (threads are unnecessary/ancillary).Inserted into the center of the valve body conduit 401 is an annularcylindrical shuttle 40404 gating mechanism that is hollow in the center(so as to allow for fluid flow) except for having a protrusion, hereinreferred to as an orifice torpedo 407 that is attached at the bottom ofthe shuttle by a plurality of torpedo support vanes 414. Thus, theshuttle 40404 is like a thick-walled tube with a torpedo protrusion 7 ofsome length at its center, around which fluid is allowed to flow. Theouter ring volume of the shuttle 404 may also enclose air to aid inflotation. FIG. 13, right, is another view of shuttle 404 from the topshowing torpedo 407 at its center with support vanes 414 integrallyconnecting torpedo 407 to shuttle 404. The shuttle rests on a rotor ofhard or soft magnetic material which is referred to as the magnet rotor405. The magnet rotor 405 is an annular cylinder such that fluid maypass through its center, and is currently expected to be a ceramicstepper-motor magnet having a plurality of hard magnetic poles (hereinalso playing the role of gate teeth) distributed radially around itscircumference. Soft magnetic material with rotor “teeth” might also beused for the rotor 405 (such as that used in reluctance stepper motors),or any other (stepper or non-stepper) electric motors, or a hybrid ofthese (such as in a hybrid variable reluctance stepper motor) or anyother form of electric motor rotor that is enclosed within the workingfluid of the valve. Not shown in the figure, but understood, are steppermotor lead wires that act as a means of accepting electrical energy toenergize the stepper motor coils. The magnet-rotor 405 is retainedloosely in its axial position in the valve body conduit by low frictionglide rings 411. An electric motor stator 406 (with magnet wirewindings), envisioned to be of a can-stack stepper motor type for thetorpedo MAV, surrounds the valve body 401 and is isolated from theworking fluid and the rotor 405 by a very thin layer of plastic orepoxy, or some other non-magnetic “air gap” material. As motor stator406 is envisioned to be a stepper motor, like the first MAV embodimentherein (step throttling MAV), implied and known to persons of ordinaryskill in the art, are stator teeth, coil wires, and other commonelectric motor parts. The bottom of the shuttle 404 is closed except fora shuttle orifice 413 of a predetermined diameter.

At the top of the valve body conduit 401, is an upper valve chamber 422that is fluidly separated from the shuttle 404 region of the body 401except for a modulation orifice/valve seat 408 through which the torpedo407 is allowed to move. The radius of the upper chamber 422 is slightlysmaller than the inner annular radius of the shuttle 404, so that thelatter may slide up and around the chamber 422 and into a recessed area419 in the upper part of the valve body conduit 401. Upon such slidingof the shuttle 404, acts as a gating mechanism for fluid flow, thetorpedo 407 also moves upward into orifice 8, partially obscuring andeffectively decreasing the cross-sectional area of orifice 8. The higherthe torpedo 407 is moved into orifice 8, the more orifice 8 is obscured.At its maximal height position, torpedo 407 fully obscures/closesorifice 8 and seat ring 412, which is attached near the bottom of thetorpedo 407, is pressed against orifice 412 creating a fluid-tight seal.

In FIG. 13 are also shown shuttle guide rails 409 which are integrallyattached to the valve body conduit 401 and to the upper chamber wall422. At particular rotational angles around the inner annularcircumference of shuttle 404 are or more indented guide grooves 409. Theplurality of guide grooves 409 have increasing length such that thevertical travel of shuttle 404 is limited by the length of said groovesby virtue insertion of guide rails/stops 409 into guide grooves 410. Thelimit of vertical travel of shuttle 404 is dependent upon the rotationalangle of the shuttle 404 and which of the guide grooves 410 lines upwith the rotational position of guide rails 409. Guide rails 409, wheninserted into grooves 410 also hold the shuttle 404 at a constantrotational position with respect to valve body conduit 401.

Magnet-to-shuttle gear teeth 418 may also be useful for ensuringrotational torque is applied without slippage between the rotor 405 andshuttle 404, but is currently not thought necessary. Also currentlythought useful but not essential, are the “water hammer” reductionorifice 420, body access threads 421, and return spring 423.

FIGS. 14 A and B show similar perspective views of the torpedo MAV froman, as yet, unfinished CAD drawing. In that figure, items 425 (motormounts) are not part of this torpedo MAV but are artifacts of the CADcapture of an existing stepper motor device from which the torpedo MAVwas to be prototyped.

Operation Fourth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 13-FIG. 14

In a fourth embodiment of a modulation assisted valve (MAV) as shown inFIG. 13-FIG. 14, the valve is initially under the condition where fluidpressure is controlled such that no pressure differential exists betweenthe inlet and outlet ports, 3 and 2, of valve body conduit 401. Theshuttle 404 rests in a gate position at the bottom of its travel andupon magnet rotor 405. An electric current waveform (such as is usedwith any electric motor) may be applied by an external means of applyingelectrical energy to stator windings phases 6, rotating rotor 405 onlow-friction retainer rings 411, to any one of a number of prescribedangular gate positions with respect to valve body conduit 401. Shuttle404 is also rotated by friction with rotor 405 or by engagement withoptional guide teeth 418. In the resulting rotational gate position,one, common-length set, of guide grooves 410 aligns with guide rails409.

When fluid pressure is then controlled to be admitted at valve inlet403, shuttle 404 acts as a gating mechanism for fluid flow and isassisted by this pressure to be moved into a gate hydraulic position atthe recessed area 419 of the valve body conduit. The shuttle 404simultaneously engages guide rails 409 with its own guide grooves 410,being stopped in its vertical travel at the equilibrium hydraulic gatingposition by the end of the particular guide groove 410. At thisparticular distance of vertical travel, torpedo 407 is partially (orwholly or none, depending on the length of particular guide groove)inserted into orifice 8, preferentially restricting the flow of thepressurized fluid. As the torpedo 407 has a radius that changes in apredetermined way along its axial length, a chosen quantity ofobscuration of orifice 8 is associated with magnitude of the torpedoinsertion distance. In this way, the torpedo modulates the fluid flowrate through orifice 8. When the fluid pressure is controlled to beremoved, shuttle 404 remains at a constant rotational angle while eithergravity, the return spring 423, or flotation forces move the shuttle 404axially back to its rest gate position on rotor 405. In this way thevalve is able to control the volume fluid between inlet port 3 andoutlet port 2.

Description Fifth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 15

A fifth embodiment of a modulation assisted valve (MAV) is shown in FIG.15 and serves to illustrate the breadth of the present invention. Thisembodiment might be called a levered solenoid MAV. The valve in whole isshown at the left side of the figure, and a detail of apart (theferromagnetic enclosure 509) is shown at the right side. In this leveredsolenoid MAV, the valve body pipe 501 is shown with inlet and outletports 517 and 518. A valve head 502 is shown obscuring a modulationorifice/valve seat 503. The valve head 2 is connected to a valve lever504. A clevis pin 514 is inserted through a rectangular hole in valvelever 504 and loosely connects it to a push rod rotor 206. Together,502, 504, 505, and 514 behave as a gating mechanism for fluid flow.Also, here, the term “rotor” is used as a traditional electromagneticmachine term event though the push rod rotor 506 is linearly shaped andmoves in a linear and not a rotary fashion. A hinge 505, with a looseelliptical axis hole, allows the valve head 502 to pivot about saidhinge, while allowing some loose vertical translation of said valve headat said hinge axis, such that fluid pressure may further hold or sealthe valve to a hydraulic gate position.

Around the cylindrical rod 6 are fixed alternating groups of axiallymagnetized ring magnets (gate teeth) 507. The ring magnets are orientedin a north-to-north, south-to-south fashion and may be interspersed with“air gap” washers to set the magnetic, north-to-south, cyclical periodlength of the assembly. The assembly consisting of rod 506, magnets 507,and washers 508 is “wet”; immersed in the valve working fluid, and ableto move freely in magnet cylinders 516. Magnetic “air gaps” for thismotor are not filled with air but, in fact, are filled with the workingfluid of the valve. This fact obviates the need for valve stems andpackings thus largely reducing frictional forces and actuation energies.Around cylinders 516, on either side of the valve, a “phase A” and“phase B” part of the motor stator can be found. Phase A 512 and phase B513 stators have a plurality of independent magnet wire coil windings508 wound around the non-ferromagnetic cylinder 516 at periodicdistances so as to match the period defined by rod magnets (gate teeth)7. Each of the coils 508 are enclosed by a ferrous metal enclosure 509,which can also be called a stator “tooth” (pl. “teeth”), that is furtherdetailed at the right side of FIG. 15. The right side of FIG. 15 showsboth the ferromagnetic enclosure 509 and the magnetic flux “air gap” 515in the center of the enclosure where magnetic flux may flow into magnets7 inside of cylinder 516. All coils 8 of phase A can be simultaneouslyenergized with electric current by a single bipolar lead wire (means ofaccepting electrical energy are not shown but implied to any personhaving ordinary skill in the art) while all coils 508 of phase B can beindependently energized with electric current by a single phase Bbipolar lead wire (again, not shown, but understood). A means of controlof such electric current is outside the scope of this levered solenoidMAV but is well understood by practitioners versed in the use of linearactuators or linear stepper motors.

The combination of parts 506, 507, and 510 while enclosed in workingfluid of the valve conduit by means of cylinders 516, and in combinationwith 508, 509, 510, and 511 constitute one means of arranging a motor bywhich the present invention greatly reduces valve actuation forces(particularly eliminating the friction that is associated with a valvepacking) by their enclosure within the valve conduit (and immersion inthe working fluid).

Operation Fifth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 15

The operation of the levered solenoid MAV typically starts bycontrolling the pressure between inlet and outlet ports, 517 and 518 tobe zero, in the valve of FIG. 15. A polarized current waveform ofsufficient magnitude and that is directly analogous to waveforms used todrive rotary permanent magnet stepper motors, is applied to phase A 512and to phase B 513 coils 8 and shaped by winding enclosures 509 (statorteeth). The application of such a waveform applies mechanical force torod 506 through magnets (gate teeth) 507, moving rod 506 right or leftin steps a desired distance. This lateral motion forces lever 504 topivot about hinge 505, and moves valve head 502 to a commanded gateposition. Passive magnetic forces (without electrical current flowing)hold lever 4 stationary in this commanded gate position. When fluidpressure is controlled to be admitted at valve inlet 517, the volumetricflow through orifice 503 is directly related to the commanded gateposition of lever 504. In the case where lever 504 has been commanded tothe closed gate position (as is the state in FIG. 15) pressure admittedat inlet port 517 impinges upon valve head 502, assisting it to movevertically inside of the elliptically shaped hinge 505 to be sealed bypressure to an equilibrium hydraulic gate position against orifice seal503.

If electric current, magnets 507, and coil windings, 508 of a sufficientmagnitude are used, this levered solenoid MAV might be operated under anonzero differential fluid pressure between inlet port 517 and outletport 518.

Note: in this patent application, the terms rotor and stator refer tothe moving and stationary parts, respectively, of an electromechanicalmotor. Thus electromechanical motors known as linear motors do, in fact,often have an element called a rotor even though such a rotor is oflinear shape and moves with linear, and not necessarily rotary, motion.Also the term magnetic gap is also intended to mean any gap in amagnetic circuit that plays the role of the more traditional “air gap”in a magnetic circuit. The magnetic gap could, in fact, could be water,plastic, oil, or other substances that play the role of the traditional“air gap” in electromagnetic machines.

Description Sixth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 16-FIG. 17

Another embodiment of an MAV is shown in FIG. 16, and can be called amulti-port MAV. This embodiment uses a cylindrical actuator that issimilar to the cylindrical actuator used in the step throttlingembodiment of an MAV (FIG. 6). The multiple outlet ports 607 make theembodiment multi-ported, with four outlet port conduits shown in theFIG. 16. An orifice wheel that takes on a shape of a “pinwheel” arrangedset of body gate modulation orifices, which take the place of body gatemodulation orifices 221 of FIG. 6 are arranged around the body seal ofoutlet ports 7. Further, the outlet port is divided into a plurality ofindependent flows (with four quadrants shown in this embodiment) 7, eachrespectively associated to each of four quadrants on the orifice wheel.In the present embodiment, the shuttle-rotor would have a single rotorgate orifice 610 for each independent outlet port 7, which would replacethe rotor gates 210 of FIG. 6.

Operation Sixth MAV Embodiment—FIG. 16-FIG. 17

The embodiment would operate in a manner similar to FIG. 6, except thateach discrete angular position 610 of the pinwheel would correspond to abinary combination of on or off flows in each of the independent outletports 607. For example, an initial position of the pinwheel in FIG. 16would block all flows at all outlet ports as none of the four rotorgates 610 would align and overlap with any of the pinwheel body gateorifices 621. With a slight rotation, only the first rotor gate 610would align with the first body gate orifice 621, enabling flow only outof the first outlet port 607. The second position would allow flow onlyout of the second port 607, etc., and the final position would allowflow out of all four outlet ports 607. In the illustrated embodiment,the pinwheel positions corresponding to quadrant 607 flows follow acommon binary number progression of individual flow quadrant on/offstates. If a 1 denotes an outlet port 607 quadrant being on and a 0denotes its off state, then the table of FIG. 17 shows the on/off statesof each of the four outlet ports 607, or quadrant, for each angularposition of the rotor-shuttle 603 (and rotor gates 610).

Description: FIG. 18-FIG. 19

An embodiment of the present invention, an automated animal portalsystem, is shown in FIGS. 116-117. Most functional parts of the animalportal system are shown clearly in that figure for the purpose ofdiscussion but would be intended to be aesthetically covered while inuse.

The exterior view of and embodiment of the automated animal portalsystem is shown in FIG. 18. The embodiment has a portal barriermechanism 702 that acts as the main barrier for entry and exit. Thebarrier mechanism 702 is attached to or hangs by hinge 713 or othermeans from a base structure 701 (such as a wall). The figure furthershows a photovoltaic array 703 covering a significant portion of theexterior side of the portal barrier 702. The photovoltaic array 703 ismounted to the rigid portal barrier mechanism 702 with epoxy glue orsome similar means, and is encased in light-translucent epoxy (orsimilar) so as to protect the array from weather and mechanical stresswhile still admitting light through to the surface of the photovoltaicarray 703 surface. In a different embodiment, the photovoltaic array 703might instead be mounted to the perimeter area of a mounting frame 714if the area proves large enough to meet the power needs of thisembodiment. Further, a flexible active photovoltaic array 703 might beused, particularly if the portal barrier mechanism 702 is itself madefrom flexible material. The photovoltaic array 703 is wired 711 to thecomputer (and power management electronics) 706 as shown in the figure.These electronics 706 can be essentially identical to the electronicssystem for managing an energy harvesting modulation assisted valve asshown in FIGS. 103-105 of this patent application.

The FIGS. 116 and 117 show both an exterior and interior views,respectively, of the automated animal portal. Shown is a swinging (hardor flexible) portal barrier mechanism 702 hanging from a top hinge orbendable fixed point. Shown in the interior view, an electronic latch704 in the form of a bi-stable solenoid (also called a magnetic latchingsolenoid) is imposed near the bottom of the portal system and is wiredto be controlled by a computer 706 and receive its actuation power fromcapacitors 705. However, other types electronic latches 704 might beused. In one state, the solenoid plunger protrudes into the path of theportal barrier mechanism 702's travel, disabling movement. In the otherstate, the plunger is retracted and allows the door to swing freely. Theplunger may be a two-pronged “fork” shape such that each prong,respectively, rests on the interior or exterior of the swinging door.Alternatively, the door may have sufficient thickness so as to allow thesolenoid plunger to be inserted into the volume of the door for thepurpose of stopping it.

A computer (and power management electronics) package 706 is shown nearthe center left of the interior view of the portal system. The solenoid704 is wired to the power management and control electronics package.

A radio frequency (RF) transceiver 707 (driven by, for example, theMicrochip MRF24J40 integrated circuit) with its associated antenna 712closely attached to it are shown at the top of the mounting frame 714.The transceiver is wired 711 to the computer (and power managementelectronics) 706.

One or more capacitors 705 (super capacitor in this embodiment) thatstore electrical energy for the entire embodiment is shown attached atthe bottom left of the animal portal system frame. The super capacitoris wired 711 to the computer (and power management electronics) 706. Alithium-ion capacitor or a battery might be used in place of the supercapacitor. The use of one of these forms of capacitive energy storageobviates the labor involved in changing batteries as the capacitivestorage is expected to have an effective life that exceeds that of thedeployed embodiment.

At the top of both the interior and exterior frame 714 of the presentembodiment are two (one interior and one exterior)proximity/discriminator sensors 708 (such as the Intersil IS29029module) that are also wired to the computer (and power managementelectronics) 706. These sensors 708 may have any combination of one ormore of an active infrared proximity sensor, a radio frequencyidentification sensor (RFID), a color sensor (discriminating the localscene in terms of its color), or various other sensing means. In otherembodiments, the sensors 708 may communicate with the computer throughradio frequency or other means.

An embodiment of an animal tag 709 is shown in the form of a radiofrequency identification transponder and attached to the neck of theanimal exiting the portal in FIG. 18. The transponder is sensed by theproximity sensor 708. The proximity sensor 708 would elicit a signalthat is dependent on the identity data implicitly contained intransponder 709, but other embodiments might simply respond to the merepresence of any and all similar transponders in the same fashion,allowing entry or exit of any animal with a similar transponder attachedor otherwise present.

As can be seen by persons of ordinary skill in the art of electronicdesign, the computer (and power management electronics) 706 can benearly identical to the electronic system of FIGS. 102-105. The computer(and power management electronics) 706 includes in this embodiment amicrocontroller (such as Microchip's PIC18F87K22), voltage boostcircuitry with capacitive charging to power actuation the of thesolenoid 704 at a higher voltage and current, boost circuitry to boostsupply voltage to operate the RF transceiver 707, and bufferingelectronics (to allow the low voltage microcontroller to control thehigher, boosted, voltages.

The PIC18F87K22, amongst other things, has a real-time clock calendar,non-volatile memory for storing and manipulating data. A firmwareprogram would be written to manage transceiver communications andactuation electronic latches of the animal portal system, and otherfunctions of the embodiment.

Operation: FIG. 18-FIG. 19

The portal system is a very low power device. Conservation of energyresources motivates a system that spends much of its time in an inactive“sleep” state in which many of the present embodiment's electronicsub-circuits are shut off so that little power is consumed and duringwhich little or no activity is managed by the microcontroller.

To enable a means of managing power consumption, the system may bepartially defined as a state machine. Thus, the present embodiment hasseveral essential states (though other, intermediate, ancillary or“housekeeping” states such as “idle” might also be used). Each definedstate may be independent, dependent (sub-state), and/or combined withother states. In summary, the currently envisioned states comprise suchstates as follows. Indentations connote sub-states of a parent state:

Awake State

Communicating (through said transceiver)

-   -   Receiving commands    -   Transmitting status

Not communicating

Actuating solenoid latch

Solenoid latch mode state {open|locked|normally closed|normally open}

Solenoid position state (locked/unlocked)

proximity/discriminator sensor sensing and storing sensed values

Other states

Other transient states (sometimes classified as events which change thedevice from one state to next)

Sleep State

Not communicating

Solenoid mode {open|locked|normally closed|normally open}

Solenoid position (set/unset)

proximity/discriminator sensor sensing and storing sensed values

Other, ancillary states

The “Solenoid Mode” State

The portal system operates in a “solenoid mode” which comprises one ofthe following:

open

locked

normally closed

normally open

The “open” solenoid mode is one where the solenoid 704 remainsretracted, allowing the portal barrier mechanism 702 to be swung open atany time and by any force (such as a dog's nose, or even an intruderanimal such as a raccoon). This is a very low power consuming mode andwould be expected to be often used during daylight hours, or to beswitched to, particularly during daylight hours and if a “low voltage”alert was raised by control software indicating that the device might berunning low on operational power/energy.

The “locked” solenoid mode is one where the solenoid remains engagedwith the portal barrier mechanism 702, disabling its operation andlocking all animals in or out of the room where it is installed. This,too, is a very low power consumption mode and would be expected to beused during night hours, or to be switched to, particularly during nighthours when a “low voltage” alert was raised by control softwareindicating that the device might be running low on operationalpower/energy.

The “normally closed” solenoid mode is one in which the solenoid 704remains engaged with the animal portal system, locking its operation,but where the proximity/discriminator sensor recognizes the animal,through software and sensing means, and then temporarily unlocks thesolenoid to allow the animal to move through the portal system. Thismode implies an ability to sense and recognize an animal near the portalsystem by RFID, a set or trained color recognition (set through aninitialization process such as setting the animal in the field of thesensor and pressing a button on the device or a button on the screen ofa connected USB-enabled 710 mobile phone/portable computer), or othermeans of recognition.

The “normally open” solenoid mode is one in which the solenoid remainsdisengaged and allows the animal free access but where theproximity/discriminator sensor recognizes animals other than theintended animal, through software and sensing means, and thentemporarily locks the solenoid to bar the other animal's entry. Thismode has the same animal recognition requirements as the “normallyclosed” solenoid mode.

Installation/Initialization

It is expected that the super capacitor or lithium-ion capacitor will,at installation, possess zero charge. Therefore, the device is designedto be connected to an external host USB device (such as a smart phone ortablet computer) through the USB port 710 shown in the figure. The supercapacitor will then begin to be charged by the host USB power source upto a point where it reaches is maximum allowed voltage (currentlyexpected to be 2.7 volts). Alternatively, the device may be initiallycharged from the shown solar cell, but the amount of time required forthe super capacitor to reach full charge will be much longer. In eithercase, after initial setup, the solar cell will continue to charge thesuper capacitor which, in turn, will supply all energy required tooperate the device.

During the initialization charging process, after the super capacitorreaches a predetermined threshold voltage as seen by themicrocontroller, the microcontroller will begin to execute behavioralsteps encoded in its firmware program memory. An outline of that programfollows:

The execution of microcontroller firmware begins with thereset/initialization firmware program. After basic microcontrollerhardware configuration, the firmware program communicates over the shownRF transceiver which utilizes a predetermined underlying public orcustom wireless protocol (such as Zigbee or a custom protocol) tonegotiate connection to and join with an IEEE 802.15.4 (or similar)based wireless personal area network (WPAN). The device then publishesits ability to communicate over the network, connects, and begins tosend and receive operational commands. A wired connection could also beused.

After initialization, the present embodiment would operate andcommunicate in a standard way.

Commanding the Device with an External Controller

The device is intended to be commanded by a remote, external, deviceover a wireless communications channel, over a wired communicationschannel, or it even may be commanded over a collocated electricalconnections (such as an SPI bus with interrupt line 11) by a controlprocessor that is collocated with the current embodiment. The higherlevel application semantics of the executive controller application (thesender of such commands) is not defined in this embodiment. The presentembodiment simply sends and receives a finite set of commands to andfrom a controller in a predetermined way.

As the device harvests such a small amount of energy from itsenvironment, its logical and physical operation is primarilycharacterized as a state machine and is defined in terms of device statedefinitions and by small, low energy, discrete events that change thedevice state. It is primarily by sending asynchronous command messagesencompassing a predefined set of state change events that an externalcontroller communicates with the present embodiment of this invention.

When the device is not in the process of executing one of these smallstate-change events, the device will largely remain in a low-power sleepor idle state, except for managing a small set of behaviors (probablythrough a low-power dedicated electronic sub-circuit) for sensing andresponding to sensed events associated with latching and unlatching thesolenoid lock on the portal barrier mechanism 702. Otherwise, mostcontrol circuits of the device are expected to be in this sleep statemost of the time, again, for the purpose of conserving energy.

The primary event that changes the state of the animal portal system isthe “set solenoid mode” event. This event can be commanded with a “setsolenoid mode” command issued through a wireless message sent by anexternal controller. That command defines the calendar time to executesuch an event and the desired outcome of the event. In this case, thecalendar time of the “set solenoid mode” command is given along with adesired outcome state which is one of the following, previously defined,solenoid modes:

open

locked

normally closed

normally open

This and other commands sent by the external controller are in the formof commanded discrete events that change the physical and/or logicalstate of the present embodiment. Commands are managed by an internalevent queue which stores command events in an essentially time-stampordered sequence such that the oldest time-stamped command is executedfirst and the most recently time-stamped command is moved to the back ofthe queue to be executed later. Exceptions to this time-ordered queuingexist such as when the device encounters an error condition (e.g. lowpower, or similar) where internally generated events or interrupts maybe serviced before externally commanded events.

Messages that are sent and received by the device over said wireless orwired communications channel may be comprised of messages to:

request (transmit request) that commands be sent by the externalcontrollerreceive commands to synchronize device internal clock/timer with a giventime stampreceive commands to report execution status of previous command eventstransmit status reports of previously executed command eventsreceive commands to cancel or modify previous commandsreceive commands to enable alerts or exceptional conditionsreceive commands to schedule wireless communications slot times foraccepting future commands from outside the system, including

receive scheduling commands for zero or more start times for saidcommunications slots

receive scheduling commands for termination of communications time slots

receive commands to schedule zero or more “set solenoid mode” changeevents, the parameters of such commands taking the form of

time for each of said “set solenoid mode” events,

a solenoid mode setting of one of {open|locked|normally closed|normallyopen} commands taking the form of

setting default behaviors such as defining “battery low” defaultoperational modes receive commands to schedule zero or more “set sleepstate” events, the parameters of such commands taking the form of

time for each of said “set sleep state” event

state indicator for each said “set sleep state” event{sleeping|awake|idle . . . }

The state indicator parameter for the above “set sleep state” eventcommand would include such state indicators as “sleeping”, “awake”, and“idle.” Sleep states, too, could be customized by the externalcommanding application protocol.

The allocation and synchronization of time slots for communications iscommon in various wireless networks and are often described as beaconnetworks.

Command events would typically be defined as an event time schedule anda state setting to be affected at that time. The events commands couldbe grouped together into a list of sequential commands. The followingshows a format that could be used to deliver command messages between acontroller and the present embodiment. Initially, the commonly usedInternet Javascript Object Notation (JSON) standard appears to be a goodformat for inserting commands into the payload of wireless commandmessages.

One way of structuring the formatted contents of such a command sequencemessage follows. This style of formatting a message also connotes ameans of nesting repeatable sub-sequences of events for executing somesequences at multiple times.

Command Sequence

{ command sequence repeat period (one time, hourly, daily, weekly, etc.)Command 1: execute time (precise calendar moment for start of executionof command) Set solenoid state: {open | locked | normally closed |normally open} Command 2: execute time (calendar time) Set solenoidstate: {open | locked | normally closed | normally open} ... Command N:... Nested sequence command sequence start time sequence repeat from seqstart (x minutes, hourly, daily, weekly, etc) Command A: Command B: ...}

Execution of Commands

After receiving commands from the controlling device, the presentinvention embodiment would then synchronize its clock-Calendar with saidcommanded time stamp. It would then store all command events and theirparameters, including scheduled communications intervals into on-boardnon-volatile memory, and store all of above said commanded scheduled“set solenoid mode” event commands and their parameters into on boardnon-volatile memory. Other commanded events would also be stored inmemory and ordered in the command event queue.

The present embodiment would then internally schedule, for example, “setsolenoid mode” event times for each of said commanded “set solenoidmode” events and would do similar for communications time-slotintervals. If the current time was within one of the commandedcommunications time slots or was near in time to one of said “setsolenoid mode” events, it would remain in the awake state and executesuch “set solenoid mode” event command or communication command.

The device would then go to sleep until it was interrupted by the nextscheduled command (or from a “low power” alert), execute the change ofstate associated with that command, then return to sleep until the timeof the next scheduled command.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process of controlling a valve comprising: a.Providing a valve, said valve having two or more discrete or continuousflow or pressure settings, said valve having the purpose of modulatingthe flow of fluid through or pressure across said valve; b. Providing ameans for the valve to communicate and accept a command signal to changesaid two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings; c.Fluidly connecting said valve to a network of pipes; d. Providing ameans of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across saidvalve, said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposedacross said valve being physically distinct from said valve; e. Fluidlyconnecting said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluidsimposed across said valve to said network of pipes in such a way as toenable modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across saidvalve; f. Providing a means for the means of modulating the pressure orflow of fluids imposed across said valve to accept one or more commandsto modulate the pressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve; g.Commanding said means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluidsimposed across said valve to firstly modulate the pressure or flow offluid imposed across said valve in said network of pipes, the means ofmodulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposed across said valveaffecting such first modulation, wherein fluid forces acting on saidvalve are modulated, for the purpose of physically assisting a change ofthe state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow or pressuresettings of said valve by increasing or decreasing said fluid forces; h.Commanding said valve to actuate a change of state of said two or morediscrete or continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve, saidvalve affecting such actuation of said change of state of said two ormore discrete or continuous flow or pressure settings with theassistance of said modulation of pressure or flow of fluid imposedacross said valve; i. Commanding said means of modulating the pressureor flow of fluids imposed across said valve to secondly modulate thepressure or flow of fluid imposed across said valve in said network ofpipes, the means of modulating the pressure or flow of fluids imposedacross said valve so affecting such second modulation, wherein thepressure or flow of fluid through said valve commences under saidchanged state of said two or more discrete or continuous flow orpressure settings of said valve; and whereby said two or more discreteor continuous flow or pressure settings of said valve is changed bycoordinating the modulation of external pressure forces on said valvewith commands to actuate said valve resulting in the assisted actuationof said valve with reduced actuation energy expended by said valve. 2.The process of claim 1 wherein said providing a means for the valve tocommunicate and accept a command signal is by providing a means ofwireless communications, said wireless communications comprising atleast one of radio frequency, ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light,sonic through air, sonic through ground, sonic through fluid, or otherwireless means of communication.
 3. The process of claim 1 furthercomprising collecting light energy at said valve for the purpose ofsupplying power for the actuation of said valve.
 4. The Process of claim2 further comprising collecting light energy at said valve for thepurpose of supplying power for said means for the valve to communicateand accept a command signal
 5. The Process of claim 1 further comprisingsaid valve supplying at least one of water, nutrient fluids, fluidagricultural chemicals, or other fluids used to aid in the cultivationof plants.
 6. The process of claim 1 further comprising said firstmodulation or said second modulation modulating said pressure or flow offluid imposed across said valve to an off state, wherein said off stateis the state of fluid modulation that effectively ceases the applicationof fluid pressure or flow across said valve.
 7. A valve systemcomprising: a. an enclosed conduit having an inlet port and an outletport, said conduit having one or more modulation orifices between theinlet port and the outlet port, said one or more modulation orificeshaving the purpose of modulating flow or pressure of a working fluidthrough said conduit; b. a stator attached to said conduit, said statorhaving a means of accepting electrical energy, said electrical energybeing time-varying, said stator serving the purpose accepting electricalenergy from said means of accepting electrical energy and to generate amagnetic field, said stator further having zero or more stator teeth,the zero or more stator teeth serving the purpose of spatially shapingsaid magnetic field, the zero or more stator teeth being spatiallydiscrete or spatially continuous; c. a gating mechanism comprised of onemore parts and in contact with the working fluid and mechanicallycontained and movably positioned within the conduit so as to enable themodulation of flow or pressure of the working fluid through the one ormore modulation orifices, said gating mechanism having one or more gateteeth, the one or more gate teeth being spatially discrete or spatiallycontinuous, the one or more gate teeth having the purpose of interactingwith said magnetic field and transmitting mechanical force from themagnetic field to hold or move part or all of the gating mechanism in orto one of two or more discrete or continuous gate positions with respectto the one or more modulation orifices, the two or more discrete orcontinuous gate positions intended modulate fluid flow or pressurethrough the one or more modulation orifices, said gating mechanismfurther structured such that modulating the flow or differentialpressure of the working fluid across the inlet port and outlet port ofsaid conduit by said means of modulating the flow or differentialpressure of the working fluid across the inlet port and outlet port ofsaid conduit preferentially moves, holds, or leaves undisturbed, thegating mechanism in one of two or more gate hydraulic positions withrespect to the one or more modulation orifices, wherein which of the twoor more gate hydraulic positions is stably held, moved to, or leftundisturbed is determined by one or both of the initial position of thetwo or more discrete or continuous gate positions and the direction andor magnitude of the flow or differential pressure applied at the time ofmodulating such flow, thus further modulating such flow in the conduitby said gating mechanism; d. at least one means of modulating the flowor differential pressure of the working fluid across the inlet port andoutlet port of said conduit, said at least one means of modulating theflow being for the purpose of modulating fluid forces on said gatingmechanism, said means of modulating flow being physically distinct, butfluidly connected to, and in fluid communication with said conduit; andwhereby modulating the fluid forces acting on said gating mechanismassists in changing the position of said two or more gate hydraulicpositions, the changed gate hydraulic position further enabling themodulation of fluid flow or pressure through said conduit by theobscuration of said one or more modulation orifices by said gatingmechanism.
 8. The valve system of claim 7 further comprising a. at leastone energy storage device, at least one of said at least one energystorage devices being in electrical communication with said means ofaccepting electrical energy, said at least one energy storage devicebeing at least one of an electro-chemical battery and a capacitor; b. atleast one means of harvesting and converting light energy to electricalenergy, at least one of said at least one means of harvesting andconverting light energy being in electrical communication with at leastone of said at least one energy storage devices; c. a computer, saidcomputer being in electrical communication with at least one of said atleast one energy storage devices, said computer being electronicallyattached to and enabled to control said means of accepting electricalenergy, said computer being for the purpose of controlling themodulation of said magnetic field generated by said stator; d. a meansof accepting command signals, said means of accepting command signalsbeing in electrical communication with said computer, said means ofaccepting command signals being in electrical communication with atleast one of said at least one energy storage devices, said commandsignals being for the interpretation by said computer for the purpose ofcontrolling the modulation of said magnetic field, wherein said means ofaccepting command signals is comprised of a wireless communicationsapparatus, said wireless communications apparatus using at least one ofradio frequency energy, modulated light energy, sonic energy throughair, sonic energy through ground, and sonic energy through fluid; andwhereby said at least one means of harvesting and converting lightenergy to electrical energy are the only means of supplying electricalpower for generation of said magnetic field.
 9. The valve system ofclaim 7 further comprising a means of accepting command signals, saidmeans of accepting command signals being electrically connected to saidmeans of accepting electrical energy, said means of accepting commandsignals being for the purpose of supplying energy for and temporallymodulating said magnetic field, wherein said means of accepting commandsignals is comprised of a means of electrical communication over wires.10. The valve system of claim 7 wherein at least one of said at leastone means of modulating the flow or differential pressure of the workingfluid is a valve.
 11. The valve system of claim 7 wherein the workingfluid is any fluid used in the cultivation of plants.
 12. An automatedanimal portal system comprising a. a base structure; b. a portal barriermechanism movably attached to said base structure; c. at least onephotovoltaic array, said at least one photovoltaic array being attachedto said base structure or attached to said portal barrier mechanism,said at least one photovoltaic array being for the purpose of generatingelectrical power from light, said at least one photovoltaic array beingessentially the only means of generating operational power for saidautomated animal portal system; d. one or more electrical latchesattached to said base structure or attached with said portal barriermechanism, said one or more electrical latches being for the purpose oflatching or unlatching said portal barrier mechanism in an open positionor in a closed position so to impede or allow movement of said portalbarrier mechanism with respect to said base structure; e. at least oneenergy storage device, said at least one energy storage device being atleast one of an electro-chemical battery and a capacitor, said at leastone energy storage device being attached near said portal barriermechanism, at least one of said at least one energy storage devicesbeing in electrical communication with at least one of said at least onephotovoltaic arrays, said at least one of said at least one energystorage device supplying actuation energy to said one or more electricallatches, said at least one energy storage devices being essentially theonly means of storing operational energy for said automated animalportal system; f. a computer in electrical communication with andpowered by energy stored in one of said at least one energy storagedevice, said computer being in electrical communication with a digitalmemory, said computer being in electrical communication with atimekeeping clock, said computer further in electrical communicationwith said one or more electrical latches and enabled to control theactuation of said one or more electrical latches based on time data insaid timekeeping clock, a program and a time schedule, said program andsaid time schedule being resident in said memory of said computer; g. atransceiver, said transceiver being in electrical communication withsaid computer, said transceiver being for the purpose of receiving radiofrequency communications from an external transceiver, the purpose ofsaid communications being to communicate said program and said timeschedule and other control information to said computer; and wherebysaid automated animal portal system is operated under said time scheduleessentially using only the power generated by said at least onephotovoltaic array.
 13. The automated animal portal system of claim 12further comprising at least one proximity sensor attached near saidportal barrier mechanism, each of said at least one proximity sensorbeing in communication with said computer, each of said at least oneproximity sensor each being independently capable of sensing thepresence of a nearby animal and eliciting a signal based on the presenceof said nearby animal, said computer receiving said signal and latchingor unlatching said portal barrier mechanism based, in part, on at leastone of reception of at least one of said signals and, reception of atleast one of said signals and said time schedule.
 14. The portal systemof claim 13 wherein said proximity sensor is at least one of radiofrequency identification sensor, radio frequency receiver, passiveinfrared sensor, magnetic field sensor, ultrasonic sensor, opticalsensor, photocell, camera.
 15. The automated animal portal system ofclaim 14 being further comprised of an animal tag, said animal tag beingfixed to an animal, said animal tag being for the purpose of generatinga physical signal proximal to said animal, said signal being sensed bysaid proximity sensor, wherein said animal tag is at least one of radiofrequency identification transponder, radio frequency transmitter, and amagnet.